n  pieR  FOR 

GRGHTGR  IIRITY 

SGTH  ZU.GILKCY 


/0. 2.^,2-0. 

LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

Presented  by 

BX  8    .G5A   1919  c.l 
Gilkey,   Seth  Wison,  1850- 
A  plea  for  greater  unity 


iri 


Digitized  by 

tlie  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2015 

https://arcliive.org/details/pleaforgreaterunOOgilk_0 


A  PLEA  FOR 
GREATER  UNITY 

SETH   W. '^GILKEY,  D.  D. 


BOSTON 
RICHARD  G.  BADGER 

THE  GORHAM  PRESS 


Copyright,  1919,  by  Szth  W.  Gilket 


All  Eights  Reserved 


Made  in  the  United  States  of  America 


The  Gorham  Press,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 


This  volume  is  the  outcome  of  an  experience  through  which 
the  author  passed  in  the  uniting  of  two  rival  congregations  in 
an  over-churched  village  and  community.  He  was  the  pastor 
of  the  larger  of  these  churches  and  continued  for  a  few  years 
the  pastor  of  the  united  church.  His  study  of  the  conditions 
by  which  he  was  surrounded  and  how  to  deal  with  them  was 
the  occasion  by  which  was  specially  unfolded  to  him  a  vision  of 
a  united  church  not  only  in  his  own  community  but  in  the  whole 
of  Christendom.  His  surroundings  and  experiences  were  a 
special  incentive  to  him  to  make  a  new  study  of  the  ideal  church 
as  presented  in  the  Scriptures,  to  find  out  what  others  had 
thought  and  were  thinking  on  the  subject  of  organic  church 
unity,  and  to  think  the  subject  through  for  himself  so  far  as 
he  was  able. 

He  has  been  rejoiced  to  find  that  many  others  have  been 
thinking  earnestly  and  deeply  along  these  lines.  He  has  found 
indeed  that  unity  is  considerably  in  the  air.  In  the  prepara- 
tion of  this  volume  he  has  felt  free  to  use  the  fine  and  vigorous 
expressions  of  conviction  made  by  others  on  special  phases  of 
the  discussion,  and  has  interspersed  the  volume  with  numerous 
quotations.  He  has  done  this  not  only  because  others  were 
saying  things  better  than  he  could,  but  also  to  indicate  the  vigor, 
breadth  and  scope  of  the  movement.  He  wishes  to  thank  all 
these  writers  for  the  help  he  has  received  from  the  things  which 
they  have  written. 

The  author  believes  this  movement  toward  unity  to  be  the 
most  significant  movement  of  the  present  age,  and  wants  to  do 

3 


4 


Preface 


his  bit  to  help  it  forward.  He  has  tried  to  be  just  and  fair  in 
his  discussion  of  such  phases  of  the  question  as  seemed  to  him 
the  most  important,  and  is  persuaded  that  his  readers  will  peruse 
his  pages  in  the  same  spirit.  Whatever  worth  his  thoughts  may 
have  is  laid  upon  the  altar  of  the  great  cause  for  whose  sake  he 
has  written. 

Seth  W.  Gilkey, 
High  Ridge  Parsonage, 

Bridgeport,  Ohio. 

Nov.  2,  1 918. 


\ 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction   7 

THE  MOVEMENT  TOWARD  UNITY 

The  Basis  of  the  Movement   15 

Increasing  Manifestations   26 

Onward  Toward  the  Goal   35 

Greater  Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission   ...  54 

The  Search  for  Essentials   77 

A  Possible  Impossible   96 

BARRIERS 

Tenacity  of  Opinion   113 

Unreasonable  Attachments   126 

Ultra  Conservatism   140 

Selfishness   153 

Sectarianism   166 

Ambition   183 

Militancy   188 

IMPELLING  FORCES 

The  Power  of  the  Truth   205 

The  Power  of  Love   216 

The  Power  of  a  Great  Ideal   227 

The  Sigh  of  the  City   238 

The  Call  of  the  Country   252 


Contents 


PAGE 


The  Appeal  of  Missions  262 

The  Cause  of  Religious  Education  271 

The  Demands  of  Economy   ........  279 

The  Demands  of  Democracy  287 

The  Spur  of  a  Great  Task  300 

DUTIES 

Confession  of  Sin  313 

Prayer  and  Supplication  323 

Perfecting  of  Love  332 

Stressing  Community  Welfare  343 

The  Larger  Loyalty  356 

Patience  367 


INTRODUCTION 


No  greater  and  more  significant  movement  than  the  one  now 
going  on  within  the  church  with  respect  to  the  unifying  of  its 
many  divisions  has  taken  place  for  many  a  year.  A  wonderful 
revolution  of  sentiment  on  this  subject  has  been  going  on  quietly 
but  very  effectively  during  the  last  decade  or  two.  The  great 
war  now  apparently  drawing  near  its  end  after  more  than 
four  years  of  unprecedented  frightfulness  and  horror  has  spe- 
cially intensified  the  growth  of  this  sentiment.  The  necessity 
for  unity  in  political  affairs  has  also  been  made  apparent  in 
religious  matters.  The  inability  of  a  divided  church  to  cope 
with  the  new  conditions  forced  upon  it  was  soon  very  evident. 
It  quickly  became  apparent  that  united  efforts  must  be  under- 
taken to  meet  the  pressing  need  of  the  hour.  A  new  realization 
of  the  cause  of  the  church's  impotence  in  the  face  of  a  great 
task  came  to  the  minds  of  many  Christian  men  and  women,  who 
have  seen  that  the  weakness  of  the  church  to  meet  great  tasks 
must  remain  so  long  as  it  remains  in  a  divided  state.  Hence 
the  acceleration  of  this  movement. 

This  movement  toward  unity  has  a  broad  and  strong  founda- 
tion. It  rests  upon  the  beliefs  that  are  common  to  all  Christian 
people.  The  manifestations  of  the  spirit  of  unity  have  been 
increasing  through  many  years,  but  especially  during  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century.  The  ultimate  goal  that  is  before  it  is 
the  ideal  of  Christ  in  regard  to  His  church.  Intermediate  goals 
may  be  more  attractive  to  many  minds  but  can  be  true  and 
valuable  only  as  they  are  in  harmony  with  Christ's  goal.  These 

7 


8 


Introduction 


intermediate  goals  are  a  beginning  in  the  right  direction  and  will 
naturally  relate  to  the  union  of  churches  within  the  family 
groups,  but  may  also  relate  to  the  union  of  all  the  churches  of 
any  one  community,  town,  city,  state  or  nation. 

The  church  was  created  for  an  important  work  in  the  world 
and  the  relation  of  its  unity  to  the  accomplishment  of  that  work 
is  exceedingly  important.  This  importance  is  clearly  indicated 
by  the  symbols  used  in  the  Scriptures  to  indicate  its  office  and 
mission.  These  symbols  show  that  the  church  was  designed  to 
be  a  special  representative  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  the 
earth,  the  body  of  Christ,  the  bride  of  Christ,  a  Christian 
brotherhood,  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth,  and  a  universal 
peace  society.  For  the  better  fulfilment  of  its  office  and  work 
as  suggested  by  any  and  all  of  these  symbols  much  greater  and 
more  perfect  unity  is  essential. 

What  are  "the  essentials"?  A  right  answer  to  this  ques- 
tion is  vital.  The  search  is  going  on,  and  has  been  in  progress 
for  some  time.  Many  are  coming  to  believe  that  they  will 
finally  be  found  in  the  beliefs  now  held  in  common  by  the 
churches.  They  are  seeing  more  and  more  clearly  that  they 
are  not  to  be  found  in  the  region  of  extreme  ideas,  into  which 
category  the  distinctives  are  rapidly  descending. 

Is  the  unification  of  all  the  churches,  or  even  a  large  part 
of  them,  possible?  Some  say  yes  and  some  say  no.  But  while 
the  number  saying  no  have  been  a  large  majority,  the  number 
saying  yes  have  been  rapidly  increasing  and  bids  fair  to  soon 
become  the  greater.  The  evidences  of  this  growth,  and  the 
consequent  change  of  sentiment  that  is  transpiring,  are  numer- 
ous and  far-reaching  and  show  that  this  movement  is  a  broad 
stream,  and  very  deep. 

It  is  but  natural  that  it  should  have  barriers  to  impede  its 
progress.  In  the  past  these  barriers  have  been  a  great  blockade, 
but  now  are  much  reduced  in  their  obstructive  power.  They 


Introduction 


9 


include  such  things  as  men's  natural  tenacity  in  holding  on  to 
their  opinions,  their  unreasonable  attachments  to  things  of  little 
value,  the  tendency  of  some  minds  to  ultra  conservatism,  the 
natural  selfishness  of  the  human  heart,  sectarianism,  ambition, 
and  the  militant  spirit  deeply  set  in  human  nature.  These 
are  serious  hindrances  to  the  cause  of  unity,  but  not  insur- 
mountable. Most  men  are  reasonable  when  the  necessity  for 
a  new,  calm,  and  honest  consideration  of  their  past  beliefs  be- 
comes apparent.  It  would  seem  as  though  such  a  necessity  was 
now  brooding  over  Christendom.  Doubtless  a  careful  and  con- 
siderate examination  of  these  barriers  by  the  great  body  of 
Christian  people  will  soon  lead  to  sweeping  them  away. 

Great  impelling  forces  are  at  work  for  its  promotion.  They 
are  quiet  forces,  but  eii'ective,  and  the  results  of  their  power 
have  been  multiplying  and  will  continue  to  increase.  They 
include  such  forces  as  the  power  of  the  truth,  the  power  of 
love,  the  power  of  a  great  ideal,  the  need  of  the  city,  the  call 
of  the  country,  the  appeal  of  missions,  the  cause  of  religious 
education,  the  demands  of  economy,  the  spur  of  a  great  task, 
and  the  demands  of  democracy.  Each  of  these  forces  is  a 
great  power  in  itself;  their  combination  surely  makes  them 
mighty  for  the  pulling  down  of  strongholds.  They  would 
seem  to  be  such  as  are  well  suited  to  arouse  all  the  enthusiasm 
necessary  to  go  "  over  the  top  "  with  this  movement  before 
any  great  period  of  time  has  passed. 

In  the  meantime  there  are  duties  in  relation  to  this  move- 
ment which  need  to  be  recognized.  These  duties  are  specific  and 
concern  the  responsibili<:y  of  every  Christian  man  and  woman. 
The  first  one  is  the  recognition  of  the  sinfulness  of  the  divided 
state  of  the  church  and  the  confession  of  our  personal  sin  in 
regard  to  this  state  of  division.  Another  is  that  of  prayer  for 
personal  guidance,  and  for  the  guidance  of  the  whole  body 
of  Christian  people  everywhere  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  regard  to 


lO 


Introduction 


the  proper  steps  to  be  taken  to  reach  the  final  goal.  Our 
Christian  love  is  not  yet  perfected  and  needs  to  be  purified  and 
widened.  Our  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  community  in 
which  we  live  is  ytt  too  limited  and  narrow  and  needs  to  be 
broadened  and  strengthened  by  our  thoughtful  and  active  ef- 
forts in  its  promotion.  Discouragements  and  hindrances  are 
sure  to  come  and  much  patience  —  too  often  wanting  —  will  be 
needed.  The  want  of  this  virtue  has  been  the  source  of  failure 
to  many  a  good  cause.  Our  loyalty  may  be  of  different  kinds. 
Its  relation  to  this  movement  will  reveal  what  kind  it  is, 
whether  it  be  loyal t}^  to  Christ  and  the  general  interests  of  His 
kingdom,  or  to  the  special  interests  of  a  certain  group  within 
that  kingdom. 

All  these  points  have  been  considered  at  some  length  within 
this  volume.  It  has  not  been  the  aim  to  present  an  exhaustive 
treatment  of  any  phase  of  the  great  movement  under  considera- 
tion, but  to  suggest,  out  of  personal  experience,  such  lines  of 
thought  as  might  prove  helpful  in  the  solution  of  its  problems. 
Supposedly  this  volume  was  almost  completed  more  than  three 
years  ago.  For  special  reasons  the  work  was  temporarily  laid 
aside.  Within  the  last  few  months  it  has  been  rewritten  for 
the  most  part  and  somewhat  enlarged.  Within  these  years  the 
sentiment  for  greater  unity  has  grown  rapidly,  and  many  facts 
concerning  this  progress  have  been  noted.  The  church's  rela- 
tion to  democracy,  whose  cause  is  one  of  our  great  moral  aims 
in  war,  has  been  made  more  fully  manifest  and  greatly  em- 
phasized by  the  stirring  events  of  these  years.  In  this  period 
the  conviction  has  been  greatly  deepened  that  the  people  are 
the  source  of  authority  and  power  within  the  church  as  well 
as  within  the  state,  and  that  the  people,  as  the  last  court  of 
appeal,  have  the  right  to  determine,  better  than  any  individual 
or  group  of  individuals,  whether  or  not  any  matter  of  Faith 
and  Order  can  claim  for  itself  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord." 


Introduction 


II 


This  movement  is  sure  to  continue  its  growth.  The  signs 
of  the  times  are  indicative  of  this,  and  that  it  comes  from  God. 
As  one  of  old  has  said,  "  If  this  work  be  of  men,  it  will  come 
to  naught;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  ye  cannot  overthrow  it."  If 
it  is  of  God,  to  oppose  it  is  to  fight  against  God ;  to  espouse  it 
and  work  for  it  is  to  work  with  God. 


THE  MOVEMENT  TOWARD  UNITY 


A  PLEA  FOR  GREATER  UNITY 


THE  BASIS  OF  THE  MOVEMENT 
HEN  a  surveyor  begins  any  new  piece  of  work  his  first 


'  '  duty  is  to  find  his  base  line,  or  meridian.  In  the  dis- 
cussion of  any  movement  it  is  essential  to  find  the  basis  upon 
which  it  rests  and  from  which  effective  procedure  must  take 
place.  Every  movement  has  some  fact,  or  facts,  that  are  the 
foundation  of  its  existence  and  progress.  Whatever  it  is, 
this  basis  must  be  recognized  in  any  discussion  that  would  reach 
conclusions  that  are  right,  just,  and  fair.  This  chapter  is  an 
attempt  to  recognize  and  appreciate  some  facts  which  lie  at  the 
foundation  and  progress  of  the  modern  movement  toward  Chris- 
tian unity. 

The  first  basal  fact  that  will  be  mentioned  is  the  unity  of 
belief  among  all  Christian  people  in  regard  to  the  being  and 
character  of  God.  The  members  of  all  Christian  denomina- 
tions believe  that  there  is  One  God  and  that  he  is  the  Father 
of  us  all.  They  are  all  assured  that  He  is  one  and  only  one 
in  His  essence,  nature,  thought,  feeling,  will  and  action.  They 
all  ascribe  to  Him  glory  and  honor  as  the  Great  Creator  of  all 
things,  and  as  the  Maker  of  this  world  with  all  its  materials, 
laws  and  forces.  They  all  honor  and  adore  Him  as  the  creator 
of  man  and  as  the  source  of  all  human  qualities,  endowments 
and  possibilities.  They  all  recognize  Him  as  the  fountain  of 
life  and  the  source  of  all  the  blessings  which  come  to  men  both 
here  and  hereafter,  and  seek  to  honor  Him  as  the  One  in  whose 
image  man  was  originally  created.  They  all  see  in  this  One 
God  the  same  attributes  and  perfections.    They  agree  that  He 


i6 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


is  omnipotent,  omniscient,  omnipresent,  holy,  just,  wise  and 
good.  All  trust  Him  alike  to  be  merciful,  gracious  and  for- 
giving. All  rely  on  Him  as  gentle,  kind,  patient,  longsuffer- 
ing  and  forbearing.  They  all  confide  in  Him  as  a  Father 
who  loves  his  children  and  unitedly  address  Him  as  "  Our 
Father  who  art  in  Heaven." 

Another  point  in  the  base  line  of  this  movement  toward 
Christian  unity  is  the  common  faith  of  all  Christendom  in  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  son  of  God.  A  very  large  proportion  of  the  great 
body  of  Christian  people  believe  alike  that  He  is  God  equal 
with  the  Father  and  the  same  with  Him  in  substance,  power,  and 
glor\^  They  are  very  fully  persuaded  that  He  was  truly  God 
"  who  was  manifested  in  the  flesh,  justified  in  the  Spirit,  seen 
of  angels,  preached  among  the  nations,  received  up  into  glor}'." 
They  believe  in  the  power  of  His  blood  to  take  away  sin  and 
that  His  atonement  upon  the  cross  is  effective  in  securing  their 
salvation.  Even  those  who  doubt  the  divinity  of  His  nature 
for  the  most  part  see  in  Him  a  sinless  character,  the  embodiment 
of  highest  wisdom,  the  possession  of  a  nature,  character,  and 
worth  infinitely  above  man,  and  recognize  Him  as  worthy  of 
the  adoration  and  worship  due  to  one  who  is  surpassingly  and 
preeminently  Godlike  in  his  character  and  mission.  They  be- 
lieve in  Him  as  the  ideal  man,  and  as  more  than  man,  a  special 
messenger  from  God  to  men  and  worthy  of  the  fullest  imi- 
tation and  obedience.    It  was  one  of  these  who  wrote: 

"  In  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory." 

Notwithstanding  the  misgivings  of  some  about  the  divinity  of 
Christ  there  is  very  complete  unity  in  much  the  larger  part  of 
Christendom  in  regard  to  this  belief,  and  there  is  much  unity 
in  all  Christendom  in  regard  to  the  value  and  importance  of 
Christ's  mission  and  work.  He  is  recognized  by  all  to  be  the 
most  unique,  the  most  wise,  the  most  exemplary,  and  the  most 
wonderful  personality  that  has  ever  appeared  among  men. 


The  Basis  of  the  Movement 


17 


Another  point  in  the  basis  of  this  movement  toward  church 
unity  is  the  unity  of  belief  there  is  among  Christians  in  regard 
to  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  same  beliefs  as  to  His  personality, 
mission  and  work  are  the  common  possession  of  the  various  de- 
nominations. They  all  recognize  Him  as  the  person  of  the 
Godhead  whose  special  mission  it  is  to  apply  the  truth  of  God 
to  the  consciences  and  lives  of  men.  They  all  acknowledge 
Him  to  be  the  source  of  divine  revelation  and  its  interpreter  to 
the  minds,  hearts  and  wills  of  men.  They  all  ascribe  to  Him 
the  work  of  regeneration  and  the  processes  of  sanctification 
through  which  men  are  saved.  With  them  all  He  is  the 
divine  personality  who  teaches,  inspires,  leads  and  guides  men  in 
ways  acceptable  to  God  and  men.  They  all  believe  that  He 
dwells  within  the  heart  of  every  true  Christian  and  produces 
such  thoughts,  feelings  and  habits  of  life  as  are  known  to  be 
"  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit."  They  all  agree  that  His  work  is 
most  essential  and  important  in  the  conversion  and  salvation 
of  men  and  in  the  building  up  of  the  church.  They  all  teach 
that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  church  to  be  subject  and  submissive  to 
His  control  and  guidance. 

Again,  there  is  great  unity  among  Christians,  in  most  of  the 
denominations,  in  the  belief  that  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit  are  one  and  the  same  God  in  substance,  being,  power 
and  glory.  With  all  these  believers  these  three  persons  are 
the  one  Living  and  True  God  as  he  may  be  engaged  in  the 
varied  and  wonderful  works  of  God.  In  creation  and  provi- 
dence he  is  the  Father,  as  the  teacher  of  men  and  revealer  of 
divine  love  He  is  the  Son,  in  the  inward  work  of  grace  He  is 
the  Holy  Spirit.  In  His  threefold  personality  He  is  God 
above  and  beyond  us,  God  with  and  beside  us,  and  God  within 
and  through  us,  and  thus  God  everywhere  and  in  every  needed 
aspect. 

Another  point  in  the  basis  of  unity  among  all  Christians  is 


i8 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


their  common  acceptance  of  the  Bible  as  the  word  of  God. 
They  all  agree  that  it  is  the  book  of  books  and  receive  it  as  a 
message  from  Heaven  and  as  the  revelation  of  such  great  truths 
as  men  need  specially  to  know^.  They  all  believe  that  in  it  is 
to  be  found  the  true  solution  of  the  world's  great  problems, 
and  especially  such  problems  as  relate  to  man's  origin,  nature 
and  destiny.  They  all  recognize  it  to  be  the  ultimate  source 
of  authority,  instruction,  and  guidance  in  all  moral  and  religious 
questions.  They  may  differ  somewhat  in  their  interpretation 
of  some  of  its  statements  but  agree  to  make  it  the  court  of  final 
appeal.  Until  very  lately,  for  the  space  of  about  three  hundred 
yearS;  all  the  Protestant  and  English  speaking  churches  have 
had  the  same  translation  of  the  Bible,  and  so  have  had  identically 
the  same  book  in  every  feature  and  form  of  expression.  The 
same  commentaries  upon  the  whole  Bible,  or  any  part  of  it, 
have  circulated  freely  throughout  all  Christendom.  The  same 
lessons  or  portions  of  the  Scriptures  for  study  in  the  Bible 
school  have  been  used  very  generally  in  these  later  years  by  all 
denominations.  Thus  in  a  large  way  the  same  inculcation  of 
truth  and  the  same  inspiration  of  motives  has  been  going  on 
throughout  Protestant  Christianity.  The  unity  of  the  churches 
in  respect  to  the  Bible  and  its  use  is  surely  very  great. 

Another  point  in  this  basis  of  unity  among  Christians  is  their 
common  belief  in  regard  to  the  nature  and  destiny  of  man. 
They  all  believe  that  man  was  made  in  the  image  of  God  and 
that  a  high  destiny  has  been  placed  before  him.  They  all  teach 
that  he  is  an  immortal  being  and  should  live  with  constant 
reference  to  this  fact.  They  place  high  emphasis  upon  the 
teaching  that  his  high  destiny  can  be  made  secure  only  by  faith 
in  God,  a  faith  that  trusts  and  obeys.  They  all  believe  that 
every  man  has  great  possibilities  of  development  in  character 
and  attainments  through  the  inspirations  and  stimulus  which 
the  gospel  has  power  to  work  in  human  lives.    They  all  recog- 


The  Basis  of  the  Movement 


19 


nize  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  greatest  good 
which  men  can  possibly  secure. 

Another  point  of  unity  among  Christians  of  every  name  is 
their  conception  of  sin  and  realization  of  its  ruin.  There  is 
wide  agreement  in  their  teaching  that  all  men  are  sinners  and 
need  just  such  a  Savior  as  the  one  revealed.  They  unite  in 
the  recognition  of  sin  as  the  cause  of  all  human  degradation, 
misery  and  woe.  They  all  emphasize  the  need  of  repentance 
and  divine  forgiveness.  They  all  teach  that  men  should  seek 
the  remission  of  sin  through  the  pardoning  mercy  of  a  gracious 
God.  They  all  insist  that  men  should  turn  away  from  sin  and 
learn  obedience  to  the  will  of  God.  They  all  recognize  that 
men  are  weak  in  the  face  of  temptation  and  liable  to  go  astray, 
and  that  they  need  divine  help  and  guidance  in  resisting  and 
overcoming  it.  They  all  insist  that  the  evil  of  sin  is  so  great 
that  only  a  divine  Redeemer  can  rescue  men  from  its  power  and 
enable  them  to  make  the  most  of  themselves  in  the  development 
of  the  nobler  elements  of  their  manhood. 

There  is  great  unity  among  Christians  of  all  denominations 
in  regard  to  the  duties  which  belong  to  all  the  followers  of 
Christ.  They  all  teach  that  faith  in  Christ  is  an  essential  to 
salvation,  that  love  is  a  first  duty  both  toward  God  and  man, 
and  that  obedience  to  the  will  of  God  is  most  imperative. 
They  all  insist  that  love  and  faith  are  manifested  through  good 
deeds  and  unite  in  urging  upon  men  the  importance  of  right 
living  in  relation  to  both  God  and  man.  They  all  endeavor 
to  arouse  the  consciences  of  men  to  proper  action,  and  urge 
men  to  adopt  high  standards  of  moral  living  and  to  earnestly 
press  onward  to  the  attainment  of  these  standards.  They  en- 
treat men  to  seek  that  help  from  God  which  will  insure  their 
/victory  over  great  and  powerful  enemies  and  their  triumph 
over  their  severe  hardships  and  insurmountable  difficulties  in 
their  life  of  service  to  their  Lord  and  Master. 


20 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


There  is  great  unity  throughout  the  churches  in  regard  to 
Christian  virtues,  what  they  are  and  what  their  value  and  im- 
portance. It  is  heartily  agreed  that  honesty  is  an  essential  qual- 
ity of  worthy  manhood.  All  join  in  unison  with  Burns  who 
sings 

"  An  honest  man's  the  noblest  work  of  God." 
They  all  earnestly  insist  that  truthfulness  must  be  recognized 
as  a  Christian  virtue,  and  that  the  man  who  loves  the  truth, 
always  speaks  the  truth,  and  is  ever  ready  to  defend  the  truth 
is  worthy  of  high  respect  and  confidence.  The  clean  man, 
the  pure-minded  man  who  is  chaste  in  all  his  thoughts,  words 
and  actions  is  sought  by  all  the  churches.  The  liberal  man 
whose  generosity  is  a  constant  stream,  the  cheerful  giver  to  the 
various  needs  of  Christ's  Kingdom,  the  philanthropist  whose 
heart  and  hand  are  ever  ready  to  help  the  needy,  has  a  grace  and 
virtue  acceptable  in  every  church.  The  person  who  is  kind, 
thoughtful,  gentle,  obliging,  amicable  and  friendly  will  be 
recognized  in  every  church  as  the  possessor  of  valuable  and  im- 
portant virtues.  The  person,  who  ever  shows  a  readiness  to 
do  his  bit  and  to  help  in  any  and  every  way  he  may  be  able, 
has  a  spirit  needed  and  appreciated  in  every  church. 

There  is  much  unity  among  the  churches  in  regard  to  the 
nature  and  value  of  worship.  All  denominations  recognize  the 
reading  and  exposition  of  the  Scriptures,  the  offering  of  prayer, 
the  singing  of  praise,  and  the  giving  of  money  to  the  Lord's 
work  as  proper  and  important  acts  of  worship.  They  all  em- 
ploy substantially  the  same  "  means  of  grace."  These  may  vary 
a  little  in  the  outward  form  but  are  the  same  in  spirit  and  in 
essence.  All  denominations  honor  the  woid  of  God  as  the 
source  of  truth  and  wisdom,  and  make  it  their  great  text-book  in 
moral  and  religious  instruction  and  their  guide  in  finding  the 
pathway  of  duty.  They  all  believe  in  prayer  as  an  essential 
act  of  worship  and  that  God  is  honored  and  blessings  secured 


The  Basis  of  the  Movement 


21 


by  the  earnest  and  sincere  pouring  out  of  the  heart  before  Him. 
Everywhere  these  prayers  contain  the  elements  of  adoration, 
thanksgiving,  confession,  petition  and  communion.  All  believe 
in  praise  and  use  it  as  a  means  to  arouse  and  quicken  good 
emotions  and  to  stimulate  courage  and  zeal  in  gaining  triumphs 
for  the  Kingdom  of  Christ.  The  early  church  was  a  singing 
church,  the  church  of  the  reformation  was  a  singing  church,  the 
church  of  the  Wesleys  was  a  singing  church  and  the  only  grow- 
ing and  victorious  church  is  the  singing  church. 

There  is  also  great  unity  among  the  churches  as  to  the  essen- 
tial characteristics  of  worship.  The  conviction  is  ver>'  wide 
and  deep  that  to  be  real  it  must  be  sincere.  It  must  be  free 
from  simulation,  without  hypocrisy  and  pretense.  "  God  is  a 
spirit;  and  they  that  worship  Him  must  worship  Him  in  spirit 
and  in  truth."  It  must  be  in  earnest.  It  must  express  the  pas- 
sion of  a  heart  poured  out  to  God,  a  heart  which  rises  above  all 
dead  formality  and  the  perfunctory  rendering  of  a  routine  serv- 
ice. It  must  be  reverent.  It  must  recognize  the  majesty  of 
God  and  express  the  homage  of  the  finite  for  the  Infinite.  It 
must  be  humble.  It  must  recognize  God  as  the  source  of  life 
and  every  blessing  and  express  a  sense  of  dependence  on  Him 
for  every  good  and  perfect  gift  of  His  providence  and  grace. 
It  must  reveal  the  spirit  of  the  child  who  realizes  that  he  is  in 
the  presence  of  a  Father  upon  whom  he  is  utterly  dependent 
and  who  is  also  most  benevolent,  kind  and  loving. 

There  is  great  unity  throughout  Christendom  in  regard  to 
the  value  and  importance  of  the  church.  All  Christians  be- 
lieve in  the  church  as  an  institution  appointed  by  Christ  to 
represent  and  manifest  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth  and  to 
have  been  handed  down  to  us  from  the  days  of  the  apostles  by 
whom  it  was  established.  It  is  accepted  by  all  that  it  is  to  be 
composed  of  tliose  who  believe  the  gospel  and  thus  accept  Jesus 
Christ  as  Lord  and  Master  and  have  a  will  to  work  for  the 


22 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


upbuilding  of  His  kingdom.  It  is  a  divinely  ordained  assembly 
for  worship  and  for  opportunity,  inspiration  and  guidance  in 
the  service  of  God.  It  has  a  great  mission  in  the  work  of  re- 
ligious instruction  in  arousing,  stimulating  and  strengthening 
all  good  emotions,  and  in  awakening  and  enlarging  noble  pur- 
poses of  service  for  the  Master.  Moreover,  all  believe  that  the 
True  Church  is  one  church  composed  of  all  who  truly  believe 
in  Christ.  All  the  churches  put  forth  the  claim  to  belong  to 
the  Holy  Catholic  Church.  In  this  claim  there  is  a  recognition 
that  unity  is  a  very  vital  and  important  condition  in  the  real 
body  of  Christ  and  an  implied  admission  that  unity  ought  to  be 
a  prominent  characteristic  of  the  institution  which  is  the  out- 
ward manifestation  of  that  body. 

Still  further  there  is  great  unity  among  the  churches  in  their 
chief  aim  and  purpose,  as  frequently  avowed.  This  aim  is  the 
salvation  of  sinners  and  the  building  up  of  Christ's  Kingdom. 
Whatever  may  be  their  views  as  to  how  this  should  be  done  and 
by  what  means  best  to  accomplish  it,  they  all  protest  that  this 
is  their  aim  and  desire.  They  all  strive  earnestly  to  win  men 
to  Christ,  and  pray  eagerly  that  those  outside  the  church  may 
be  saved.  They  employ  similar  means  and  agencies  for  the 
accomplishment  of  this  end.  They  present  the  same  kind  of 
appeal,  emphasize  the  same  religious  truths,  and  seek  the  guid- 
ance and  help  of  the  same  Almighty  Spirit.  They  all  want 
the  church  to  be  a  power  for  good  in  the  world,  a  blessing  to 
every  community,  a  help  and  support  to  every  agency  and  in- 
stitution beneficial  to  mankind,  and  a  means  of  strength  and 
uplift  to  the  state.  They  all  seek  to  create  and  inspire  worthy 
and  noble  ideals  in  individual  men,  in  families,  in  the  community, 
and  in  the  state,  and  thus  to  ennoble  and  purify  all  the  rela- 
tionships that  exist  among  men.  They  look  and  work  for  "  A 
new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness." 

This  presentation  of  points  of  unity  among  all  denominations 


The  Basis  of  the  Movement 


23 


is  by  no  means  exhaustive.  It  is  merely  suggestive  of  lines 
along  which  the  consideration  of  things  held  in  common  may 
proceed.  It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  show  that  the  present 
movement  toward  greater  unity  has  a  broad  foundation.  It 
is  well  worth  while  to  examine  this  foundation  carefully  as  to 
the  number,  nature,  and  importance  of  the  things  in  which  all 
Christian  people  agree.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  realize  how 
much  is  held  in  common  by  all  Christians  and  how  important 
these  things  are.  It  is  well  for  us  to  see  clearly  that  the  rela- 
tion of  any  denomination  to  the  True  Church  of  Christ  depends 
upon  its  possession  of  those  beliefs  which  are  common  to  all 
and  that  these  are  the  beliefs  most  vital  and  important  to  the 
individual  Christian  and  to  all  bodies  of  Christians  organized 
for  Christian  worship,  fellowship  and  service.  It  is  good  for 
us  to  realize  that  this  movement  has  a  substantial  and  effective 
cause,  that  it  is  not  merely  idealistic,  but  has  much  ground  for 
rapid  and  vigorous  development.  It  is  essential  for  us  to  gain 
a  full  appreciation  of  the  unity  which  now  really  exists. 

The  people  of  the  world  do  not  believe  that  this  unity  exists, 
because  they  do  not  see  it.  They  see  the  diversities,  the  rivalries, 
and  the  strife  and  contentions,  which  appear  in  open  evidence, 
and  fail  to  recognize  the  general  beliefs,  aims  and  purposes  which 
lie  underneath.  Even  church  members  often  do  not  realize 
how  much  of  truth  is  held  in  common  by  all  Christians.  This 
is  the  natural  result  of  stressing  their  diversities.  These  di- 
versities are  emphasized  by  the  very  existence  of  different  or- 
ganizations, houses  of  worship,  equipments,  and  a  few  varying 
forms  of  worship.  People  continually  see  these  evidences  of 
diversity  rather  than  tl\ose  of  unity  and  thus  the  diversities  are 
magnified  in  their  minds  in  accord  with  the  law  that  what 
men  think  most  about  has  to  them  the  greatest  value.  In 
former  generations  much  of  the  preaching  was  controversial 
and  the  religious  press  was  much  used  in  the  support  and  de- 


24 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


fense  of  denominational  diversities.  This  kind  of  preaching 
and  press  work  has  largely  passed  and  yet  there  are  such  evi- 
dences of  diversity  and  such  use  of  these  evidences  as  greatly 
minimize  and  discredit  the  broad  substratum  of  unity  in  doc- 
trine and  practice  which  underlies  all  true  worship  and  serv- 
ice. The  time  has  surely  come  in  which  it  is  fitting  to  stress 
more  prominently  the  fact  that  the  great  mass  of  religious 
truth,  and  the  most  fundamental  things,  are  held  in  common, 
and  thus  to  give  to  this  fact  its  true  place  in  our  religious  think- 
ing. 

In  addition  to  this  underlying  unity'  among  all  Christians 
which  exists  in  spite  of  all  their  diversities,  there  is  at  the 
basis  of  the  present  movement  a  further  fact.  This  further 
fact  is  the  plain  and  natural  interpretation  of  the  intercessory 
prayer  of  Jesus  as  the  High-Priest  of  His  people  on  the  eve 
of  His  great  sacrifice  for  them  when  he  besought  the  Father 
"  That  they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one,"  and  "  That  they 
may  be  perfected  into  one."  The  plain  and  natural  interpreta- 
tion of  these  words  is  that  our  Savior  earnestly  desired  the  most 
complete  and  perfect  unity  among  his  followers,  an  outward 
and  visible  unity  as  well  as  one  inward  and  spiritual.  Many 
are  believing  that  this  plain  and  rational  interpretation  of  the 
Savior's  prayer  is  the  true  one  and  the  only  just  and  fair  one. 

Still  further  there  is  at  the  basis  of  this  movement  a  strong 
belief  peculiar  to  no  denomination  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the 
author  and  source  of  the  visions  which  Christians  now  have 
in  regard  to  things  to  be  accomplished  by  the  church.  The 
promise  of  Jesus  in  regard  to  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
interpreted  to  mean  a  continuous  work  and  not  one  that  ter- 
minated with  the  Apostles.  It  is  a  work  necessary  to  the  right 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  men's  visions  and  revelations 
in  regard  to  the  future  of  the  church.  It  is  a  work  without 
which  there  can  be  no  progress  and  no  development  in  the 


The  Basis  of  the  Movement 


25 


Kingdom  of  God.  Every  Christian  worker  has  visions  of 
things  to  be  accomplished  in  his  field  of  effort,  and  believes 
the  source  of  these  visions  to  be  the  Holy  Spirit.  Many  have 
large  and  comprehensive  visions  in  regard  to  things  to  be  ac- 
complished in  the  state,  nation,  world,  through  the  church  and 
are  persuaded  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  source  of  these  visions. 
Unity  is  a  work  of  the  Spirit  which  He  is  ever  seeking  to  pro- 
mote, according  to  St.  Paul,  and  in  doing  so  gives  conceptions 
of  its  possibilities  and  power  for  good.  Such  conceptions  have 
been  coming  to  many  Christians  in  all  denominations  in  late 
years,  and  many  of  those  who  have  received  the  vision  are  con- 
fident that  it  is  from  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  view  of  the  great  number  and  vital  importance  of  the  be- 
liefs held  in  common  by  all  Christians,  and  in  view  of  the  plain 
and  reasonable  interpretation  of  Jesus'  prayer  for  the  perfect- 
ing of  unity  among  his  followers,  and  in  view  of  the  special 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  giving  visions  of  unity  to  Christian 
people  in  all  churches,  is  it  any  wonder  that  many  are  getting 
this  vision?  Rather  is  it  not  strange  that  it  has  remained  so 
long  concealed,  or  been  so  long  delayed?  When  this  vision 
takes  full  possession  of  one's  being  it  becomes  very  entrancing 
and  inspiring.  It  reveals  a  future  power  and  glory  in  the 
church  which  will  bring  great  honor  and  glory  to  its  King  and 
Head,  and  of  wonderfully  enlarged  and  perfected  blessings  to 
its  members  and  to  all  mankind. 


INCREASING  MANIFESTATIONS 


FIFTY  years  and  more  ago  there  was  very  little  visible 
unity  among  Christian  denominations.  Each  of  them 
was  striving  eagerly  to  build  up  its  own  interests  regardless 
of  the  v/elfare  of  others.  Rivalries  were  very  keen  and 
antagonisms  were  often  very  bitter.  Their  diversities  were 
accentuated  both  in  the  pulpit  and  religious  press.  Oppor- 
tunities were  too  often  seized  to  harangue  one  another  in  re- 
gard to  distinctive  doctrines  and  practices.  An  illustrative 
story  is  told  of  the  way  one  opportunity  was  used.  Two 
denominations  were  accustomed  to  worship  alternately  in  the 
same  house.  On  one  occasion  by  some  mistake,  or  misunder- 
standing, both  pastors  had  an  announcement  for  the  same  day 
and  hour.  The  first  to  arrive  was  chatting  familiarly  with 
some  of  his  people  around  the  stove  when  the  other  pastor 
arrived.  The  latter  saw  his  opportunity  and  at  once  ascended 
the  pulpit  and  thus  gained  its  possession  which  is  nine  points 
in  law.  He  improved  the  occasion  to  reason  vigorously  and 
vehemently  for  four  hours  with  the  other  pastor  and  his 
people  in  regard  to  the  falseness  of  their  doctrines  and  the 
error  of  their  ways. 

In  those  days  each  denomination  was  very  anxious  to  gain 
a  strong  foothold  while  our  country  was  in  a  stage  of  rapid 
development  and  growth.  Their  efforts  brought  them  into 
rivalry  and  often  aroused  strong  antipathies  between  them. 
They  often  defended  vigorously  their  own  distinctive  doctrines 
and  practices  and  declaimed  vehemently  against  those  of  other 
denominations.  Sermons  in  regard  to  Christian  unity  were 
very  rare,  and  editorials  and  articles  on  this  subject  were  very 

a6 


Increasing  Manifestations 


27 


seldom  seen  in  the  religious  press.  But  there  was  much  ef- 
fort to  justify  a  separate  existence  and  to  show  that  their 
diversities  were  irreconcilable.  They  claimed  respectively 
that  their  denominational  teachings  were  vital  and  could  be 
supported  properly  only  by  a  separate  organization.  These 
efforts  to  justify  and  uphold  a  separate  existence  bred  strife, 
animosities,  and  even  hatred  among  those  who  should  have 
been  good  neighbors  and  friends.  The  effect  of  the  preaching 
of  those  days  is  shown  in  the  case  of  a  member  in  one  of  the 
denominations  who  had  formed  a  great  dislike  for  the 
"  Seceders "  in  his  community.  He  believed  that  he  was 
justifiable  in  his  animosity  because  he  had  read  in  the 
Scriptures  that  "Seceders  (Seducers)  shall  wax  worse  and 
worse." 

Back  in  those  days,  however,  there  were  the  beginnings 
of  the  present  movement.  Among  both  ministry  and  laity 
were  those  who  saw  the  value  and  significance  of  comity  and 
cooperation  between  the  different  denominations  and  realized 
the  necessity  of  uniting  their  efforts  along  certain  lines,  at 
least,  of  Christian  work.  In  the  early  part  of  the  last  cen- 
tury The  American  Tract  Society  was  organized  as  an  inter- 
denominational institution  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  to- 
gether all  evangelical  denominations  in  certain  lines  of  re- 
ligious enterprise.  Its  founders  realized  that  its  purpose  "  To 
diffuse  a  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Redeemer 
of  sinners,  and  promote  the  interests  of  vital  godliness  and 
sound  morality  "  was  a  purpose  in  which  all  Christians  might 
well  be  united.  They  were  fully  persuaded  that  this  union 
of  workers  from  many  denominations  in  the  accomplishment 
of  its  purpose  would  glorify  God,  save  men,  and  build  up  the 
interests  of  His  Kingdom.  For  more  than  a  century  it  has 
been  a  standing  manifestation  of  the  spirit  of  unity  among 
the  followers  of  Christ  and  has  done  much  toward  the  develop- 


28 


The  Movement  Toiuard  Unity 


ment  of  the  present  movement.  In  Europe  The  Religious 
Tract  Society  of  London  and  kindred  organizations  in  other 
countries  have  been  a  similar  manifestation.  The  American 
Bible  Society  and  The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
for  more  than  a  century  have  been  visible  and  tangible  evi- 
dences of  the  unity  of  Christians  in  the  printing  and  wide 
circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  have  had  their  influence 
in  producing  the  present  fraternal  relations  among  Christian 
people.  The  American  Sunday  School  Union,  and  the  Sunday 
School  Associations,  County,  State,  National,  International, 
and  World,  have  both  promoted  and  given  expression  to  the 
unity  there  is  among  the  churches  as  to  the  importance  of 
Bible  study  and  the  best  methods  of  securing  it.  Within 
the  last  fifty  years  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
has  brought  together  the  denominations  in  a  united  effort 
on  behalf  of  young  men,  and  in  these  later  years  The  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association  has  done  a  similar  work  on 
behalf  of  young  women.  For  about  a  third  of  a  century 
The  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union  has  sought  to 
bring  together  the  Christian  womanhood  of  all  the  churches 
in  a  united  effort  to  destroy  the  drink  evil  and  during  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century  The  Anti-Saloon  League  has  secured 
the  cooperation  of  many  churches  in  the  effort  to  overthrow 
the  liquor  traffic.  For  the  last  thirty- five  years  The  Young 
People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor  has  been  a 
bond  of  union  among  many  of  the  young  people  in  several 
denominations  and  has  nurtured  the  spirit  of  union  in  many 
youthful  minds  and  hearts.  The  Students'  Volunteer  Associa- 
tion has  given  expression  to  kindred  aims  and  desires  among 
those  willing  to  serve  the  Master  in  whatever  field  He  might 
open  before  them.  The  Layman's  Missionary  Movement  has 
shown  that  devotion  to  missionar\'  enterprise  and  effort  is 
found  in  all  the  churches.    The  Men  and  Religion  Move- 


Increasing  Manifestations 


29 


ment  has  demonstrated  that  all  denominations  are  alike  in- 
terested in  the  salvation  of  men  and  in  so  presenting  the 
Christian  religion's  appeal  to  men  as  to  arouse  their  interest 
in  its  manliness  and  power. 

Another  manifestation  of  the  spirit  of  unity  worthy  of 
more  than  a  passing  notice  is  The  Evangelical  Alliance. 
This  alliance  was  the  result  of  a  growing  desire  among 
Protestant  Christians  for  greater  unity  than  had  existed.  It 
was  made  a  voluntary  association  of  evangelical  Christians 
from  different  churches  and  countries  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
moting religious  liberty,  Christian  union,  and  cooperation  in 
every  good  work.  For  almost  three  quarters  of  a  century 
this  organization  has  welcomed  into  its  membership  all 
Christians  who  may  fairly  be  regarded  as  evangelical.  It  has 
not  endeavored  to  create  a  formal  union,  but  to  acknowledge, 
exhibit  and  strengthen  that  spiritual  union  which  has  always 
existed  and  ever  will  exist  among  true  Christians  as  members 
of  Christ's  body,  but  which  is  sadly  marred  and  obstructed 
by  the  divisions  and  rivalries  of  Protestant  Christianity.  It 
has  aimed,  not  at  organic  union,  nor  even  federation,  but 
to  develop  that  spirit  of  unity  which  harmonizes  individual 
Christians  with  one  another,  and  has  claimed  no  official 
authority  over  those  churches  which  have  joined  in  its  work 
and  received  its  help.  But  it  has  been  such  a  manifestation 
of  unity  as  would  naturally  awaken  and  strengthen  the  desire 
for  a  closer  fellowship  and  more  perfect  union.  Doubtless 
it  has  done  much  to  create  the  present  wide-spread  desire 
for  one  great  outward  fellowship  among  all  Christians,  at 
least  all  of  closely  kindred  faiths. 

Still  another  manifestation  of  the  spirit  of  unity  is  to  be 
seen  in  The  Alliance  of  the  Reformed  Churches  throughout 
the  World  holding  the  Presbyterian  System.  This  alliance 
has  helped  to  make  unity  more  manifest  in  the  family  of 


30 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


churches  which  it  affiliates.  In  this  family  the  following 
unions  have  been  consummated:  the  union  of  the  Associate 
Presbyterian  Church  and  The  Associate  Reformed  Presby- 
terian Church  in  1858,  forming  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church  of  North  America;  the  union  of  "The  Old"  and 
"The  New"  School  Presbyterian  Churches  in  1869,  forming 
The  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America; 
the  union  of  several  distinct  bodies  of  Presbyterians  in  1875, 
forming  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Canada ;  the  union  of  The 
Presbyterian  and  The  United  Presbyterian  Churches  of 
England,  forming  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  England;  the 
union  of  the  Free  Church  and  The  United  Presbyterian 
churches  of  Scotland  in  1900,  fonning  the  United  Free  Church 
of  Scotland;  the  union  of  six  distinct  bodies  in  Australia  and 
Tasmania  in  1901  forming  the  Australian  Presbyterian 
Church ;  the  union  of  two  Presbyterian  churches  forming  the 
New  Zealand  Presbyterian ;  the  union  of  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church  in  1907  with  The  Presbyterian  Church 
in  the  United  States  of  America,  and  the  near  union  in  19 16 
of  The  Presbyterian  Church  and  The  United  Free  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Scotland. 

The  spirit  of  unity  has  been  manifested  also  in  the  forma- 
tion of  unions  in  other  family  groups.  All  the  Methodist 
denominations  in  Canada  came  together  in  1883  in  the  forma- 
tion of  a  single  Methodist  church  for  all  of  that  dominion. 
In  1902  the  different  Methodist  denominations  of  Australia, 
Tasmania,  New  Zealand,  and  the  South  Sea  Islands  united 
in  the  formation  of  The  Australian  Methodist  Church. 
Among  denominations  whose  congregationf,  are  under  an  in- 
dependent fomi  of  government  organic  union  is  not  so  readily 
effected.  But  these  churches  have  manifested  in  some  very 
practical  ways  that  the  spirit  of  unity  is  brooding  over  them. 
Ministers    and    members    of    Congregational,    Baptist  and 


I 


Increasing  Manifestations 


31 


Disciple  Churches  have  taken  active  part  in  conferences  re- 
lating to  unity  and  have  permanent  commissions,  or  commit- 
tees, on  church  union.  During  the  past  decade  or  two  all 
denominations  have  taken  an  active  part  in  stressing  the  im- 
portance of  comity  and  cooperation  in  their  relations  to  each 
other.  These  things  have  had  a  large  place  in  both  denomi- 
national and  interdenominational  conferences,  and  in  the  re- 
ligious press.  All  these  things  are  the  manifestation,  valuable 
though  not  complete,  of  that  spiritual  unity  which  pertains  to 
all  true  followers  of  Christ. 

A  late  manifestation  of  Christian  unity  and  a  very  important 
one  is  The  Federal  Council  of  The  Churches  of  Christ  in 
America,  founded  in  December,  1908.  Like  the  Evangelical 
Alliance  its  work  is  one  of  counsel  and  recommendation,  and 
not  one  of  legislation.  It  has  already  become  a  very 
prominent  and  effective  agenc}'  in  the  manifestation  of  unity 
in  the  thirty  denominations  whose  cooperation  and  support 
it  has  secured.  Through  its  different  commissions  it  brings 
together  the  representatives  of  these  denominations  in  con- 
ferences to  consider  and  advise  in  regard  to  the  different  lines 
of  work  in  which  the  churches  are  engaged.  It  has  commis- 
sions on  Inter-Qiurch  Federations.  Evangelism,  the  Church 
and  Social  Service,  the  Church  and  Country"  Life,  Temper- 
ance, Christian  Education,  International  Justice  and  Good- 
will, and  Relations  with  the  Orient.  Through  the  work  of 
these  commissions  and  their  special  committees  the  Council  be- 
comes a  clearing  house  for  all  the  denominations  it  represents. 
Its  object  is  declared  to  be: 

"  To  express  the  fellowship  and  Catholic  unity  of  the 
Christian  Church. 

"  To  bring  the  Christian  bodies  of  America  into  united 
service  for  Christ  and  the  world. 

"  To  encourage  devotional  fellowship  and  mutual  counsel 


32 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


concerning  the  spiritual  life  and  religious  activities  of  the 
churches. 

"  To  secure  a  larger  and  combined  influence  for  the  churches 
of  Christ  in  all  matters  affecting  the  moral  and  social  con- 
dition of  the  people  so  as  to  promote  the  application  of  the 
law  of  Christ  to  every  relation  of  human  life. 

"  To  assist  in  the  organization  of  local  federations  and  to 
promote  the  aims  of  the  Federal  Council  in  their  communi- 
ties." 

The  Federal  Council  is  both  the  result  and  the  expression 
of  a  growing  spirit  of  comity  and  cooperation  among  the 
churches.  It  indicates  the  development  of  an  eager  and  earnest 
longing  for  greater  fellowship  and  efficiency'  in  the  upbuilding 
of  Christ's  Kingdom.  It  is  to  be  recognized  as  an  encourag- 
ing manifestation  of  progress  toward  the  union  of  the  parts 
of  a  divided  church  into  one  body  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Another  encouraging  manifestation  of  the  growing  spirit 
of  unity  and  of  strong  desire  for  its  realization  is  The 
Christian  Unity  Foundation  started  in  1910  by  a  few 
prominent  members  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  This 
Foundation  aims  at  "  the  union  of  the  Christians  of  all  the 
world,  Protestant,  Eastern,  Catholic,  everybody,  everyv^here." 
The  announcement  of  such  an  aim  indicates  a  great  vision  and 
a  great  purpose.  This  organization  has  already  done  much 
valuable  work  of  agitation  and  education  along  the  line  of 
its  purpose,  and  no  doubt  will  continue  with  increasing  in- 
fluence and  power  to  do  efTective  work  for  this  great  cause 
in  days  to  come. 

Another  field  where  increasing  manifestations  of  the  spirit 
of  unity  have  abounded  is  the  field  of  missionary  enterprise 
and  effort.  In  this  field  there  has  been  much  planning,  pro- 
posing and  putting  forth  of  effort  toward  unity.  Mission- 
aries are  wont  to  get  such  a  vision  of  the  need  and  the  work 


Increasing  Manifestations 


33 


to  be  done  in  non-Christian  lands  as  emphasizes  in  their  minds 
the  essential  importance  of  united  efFort  in  every  mission  field. 
They  came  to  realize  the  importance  of  so  dividing  missionary 
territory  among  different  denominations  that  there  would  be 
no  overlapping,  nor  competition  in  the  work,  and  besought  the 
governing  boards  to  establish  such  divisions.  They  have 
realized  the  significance  and  importance  of  united  effort  and 
freedom  from  all  divisive  competition  as  these  things  have 
not  been  realized  in  America,  or  in  any  other  Christian 
country.  They  have  come  together  in  local,  national  and 
international  conferences,  or  conventions,  in  which  comity,  co- 
operation and  union  were  subjects  of  special  and  favorable  con- 
sideration. They  have  formulated  and  adopted  many  plans 
for  united  action  and  in  some  instances  have  united  into  one 
organized  body. 

The  World's  Missionary  Conference,  held  in  Edinboro, 
Scotland,  in  1910  was  a  striking  manifestation  of  the  spirit 
of  unity  among  missionaries.  It  was  the  outcome  and  full 
expression  of  many  other  conferences  which  had  preceded  it 
in  missionary  fields.  It  was  the  flowing  together  of  missionary 
forces  from  all  parts  of  the  non-Christian  world,  the  blend- 
ing of  hues  and  colors  of  missionary  enterprise  into  one 
beautiful  mosaic.  Missionaries  from  all  lands  joined 
heart  and  soul  in  the  work  and  fellowship  of  that  wonderful 
convention  in  which  the  spirit  and  expression  of  unity  was  so 
evident.  Many  of  those  who  were  present  and  experienced 
its  power  were  ready  to  pronounce  it  "  the  greatest  meeting 
ever  held." 

Another  and  still  later  manifestation  of  the  spirit  of  unity 
is  the  readiness  of  a  great  multitude  of  young  ministers,  since 
the  beginning  of  the  present  great  world  war,  to  volunteer 
their  services  to  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in 
its  war  work,  and  the  readiness  of  the  masses  of  Christian 


34 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


people  of  all  denominations  to  give  liberal  support  to  the  work 
of  this  association.  Thousands  of  young  ministers  are  ready 
and  eager  to  engage  in  this  unsectarian  work  and  thus  show 
their  appreciation  of  a  work  which  represents  united  purpose 
and  effort.  The  people  have  shown  their  appreciation  of 
united  Christian  work  in  their  ready  response  to  the  first  ap- 
peal of  Dr.  John  R.  Mott,  its  national  president,  for  $50,- 
000,000  with  which  to  carry  on  its  work.  Such  a  manifesta- 
tion is  surely  suggestive  and  very  significant. 

This  brief  review  of  ways  in  which  the  spirit  of  unity  has 
been  manifesting  itself  is  suggestive  of  the  broad  underlying 
current  of  conviction  among  Christian  people  that  unity  of 
aim,  purpose,  organization,  effort,  is  the  ideal  condition  in 
which  the  church  should  have  its  existence  and  do  its  work, 
and  deepens  the  conviction  that  a  still  greater  unity  is  soon 
to  come. 

( 


ONWARD  TOWARD  THE  GOAL 


ALTHOUGH  considerable  progress  has  been  made  in  the 
manifestation  of  unity  among  the  churches  during  these 
later  years,  they  have  not  yet  reached  that  ideal  of  unity  which 
is  according  to  the  scriptures.  The  advancement  already 
made  is  very  encouraging  in  many  respects  and  yet  much  re- 
mains to  be  accomplished  before  unity  has  reached  anything 
like  its  highest  degree  of  perfection.  While  we  have  great 
reason  to  be  thankful  that  so  much  progress  has  been  made, 
we  must  maintain  the  forward  look  toward  the  achievements 
yet  to  be  won.  While  we  rejoice  that  the  spirit  of  unity 
has  been  dif¥used  into  the  minds  and  hearts  of  many  of  God's 
people,  it  is  still  possible  for  this  work  of  diffusion  to  be  greatly 
enlarged.  All  that  is  beautiful,  praiseworthy,  and  truly 
Christian  in  the  present  conduct  of  the  various  denominations 
in  their  relation  to  one  another  may  well  be  stimulated  toward 
greater  perfection.  The  spirit  of  jealousy,  unseemly  rivalry, 
unfriendly  competition,  and  antagonism  has  yet  to  be  sup- 
planted in  many  individual  hearts  and  in  many  congrega- 
tions by  the  spirit  of  brotherly  love,  kindness,  good  will, 
comity,  and  cooperation.  The  vision  of  what  the  church  as 
one  body  in  Christ  Jesus  can  be  and  do  has  not  yet  very 
fully  filled  the  minds  of  many  denominational  leaders,  nor  the 
thought  of  the  masses  of  church  members,  and  may  well  be 
quickened,  enlarged,  and  intensified.  Many  steps  are  yet  to 
be  taken  before  the  goal  is  reached.  The  present  seems  to 
be  a  fitting  time  to  seek  an  enlargement  of  the  vision  and  to 
press  onward  toward  the  goal. 

One  great  lesson  which  the  church  may  well  learn  from 

35 


36 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


modern  business  is  the  value  and  significance  of  complete 
unity  and  cooperation,  and  this  truth  has  been  apparent  to 
many  in  the  church.  It  has  been  very  clearly  proven  in 
commercial  afiairs  that  a  large  number  of  people  acting  to- 
gether under  one  management  can  produce  more  perfectly, 
abundantly  and  cheaply,  can  secure  a  larger  and  more  ad- 
vantageous use  of  by-products,  establish  greater  and  more  sub- 
stantial credit,  procure  a  wider  distribution  of  products,  and 
stimulate  and  strengthen  foreign  commerce  much  more  ef- 
fectively, than  can  be  done  by  the  same  number  of  people 
acting  in  small  groups,  or  as  individuals.  The  great  reason 
for  the  organization  of  so  many  large  business  corporations 
in  modern  times  has  been  the  vision  which  came  to  business 
men  in  regard  to  the  possibilities  and  value  of  cooperation. 
Again,  the  great  lesson  which  the  church  may  well  learn  from 
the  unprecedented  world  war  which  is  now  being  waged 
is  this  same  lesson  on  the  value  and  significance  of  unity 
under  the  leadership  of  one  supreme  power.  The  central 
powers  have  been  able  to  gain  a  number  of  advantageous 
victories  because,  no  doubt,  their  forces  were  all  fully  united 
and  harmonious  in  their  action  and  under  the  guidance  of 
one  controlling  mind.  On  the  other  hand  the  allied  armies 
have  met  with  serious  failures  and  disasters  because  of  the  want 
of  unity  and  harmony  in  their  control.  It  has  taken  the  allied 
nations  four  years  and  through  successive  disasters  to  learn 
that  there  must  be  complete  unity  of  aim  and  action  among 
their  forces  before  defeats  and  disasters  can  be  avoided  and 
substantial  victories  gained.  It  has  surely  become  evident 
that  the  plan  of  having  allied  armies  act  largely  independent 
of  each  other  against  the  same  enemy  is  not  the  way  to  make 
very  much  advancement,  or  to  gain  permanent  and  decisive 
victories. 

Why  should  not  the  church  be  doubly  and  deeply  impressed 


Onward  Toward  the  Goal 


37 


with  this  great  lesson?  Its  business  is  "the  greatest  business 
in  the  world  "  and  is  worthy  of  the  highest  and  most  pro- 
ductive vision  of  which  the  human  mind  is  capable.  Its 
warfare  is  against  a  mighty  host  which  is  arrayed  under  the 
leadership  and  control  of  one  mind.  "  The  Prince  of  This 
World,"  the  arch-enemy  of  the  King  and  Head  of  the 
church,  is  a  very  crafty  and  cruel  foe,  and  has  every  depart- 
ment and  division  of  the  forces  of  evil  under  his  control. 
If  it  were  not  so  his  Kingdom  could  not  stand,  as  Jesus 
explicitly  declares.  The  failure  of  the  church  to  make  any 
very  great  and  rapid  progress  against  the  forces  of  evil  and 
to  gain  great  and  substantial  victories  over  these  forces,  has 
been  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  want  of  unity  and  cooperation 
between  the  divisions  of  the  allied  armies  of  the  churches. 
The  great  lesson  to  be  learned  from  the  business  world  and 
from  outstanding  facts  pertaining  to  the  gigantic  struggle 
of  the  present  world  war  is  being  learned  by  many  in  the 
churches,  as  is  evident  in  many  ways,  but  not  yet  has  it  been 
learned  by  the  controlling  influences  in  the  various  denomina- 
tions and  by  the  masses  of  church  members.  Will  it  be 
learned  by  these?  Is  there  anything  more  needed  by  the 
church  to-day  than  the  learning  of  this  lesson  ?  What  possi- 
bilities of  progress  and  of  triumph  there  would  be  to  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ  in  the  world  by  a  more  perfect  unity  of 
the  allied,  but  now  separated,  hosts  which  make  up  the  army 
of  the  Lord!  What  a  sad  hindrance  to  the  welfare  and 
progress  of  Christianity  upon  the  earth  would  be  the  failure 
of  the  church  to  learn  this  lesson! 

In  pressing  onward  toward  the  goal  it  will  be  most  help- 
ful to  keep  before  our  minds  what  this  goal  really  is.  There 
is  possibility  of  limiting  our  vision  in  regard  to  it.  Our  minds 
may  become  fixed  on  some  end  very  remote  from  the  true  goal, 
and  only  a  very  small  beginning  in  its  direction.    It  is  true 


38 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


that  we  may  have  intermediate  goals,  and  they  may  serve  a  good 
temporar)'  purpose  in  stimulating  dur  activities,  but  these 
must  lie  in  the  direction  of  the  true  goal  and  be  in  harmony 
with  all  that  makes  it  the  great  end  to  be  sought.  These 
intermediate  points  may  have  much  value  as  guides  toward 
the  right  end,  as  helps  to  larger  vision,  and  as  measures  of 
attainment  in  the  forward  steps  of  progress,  but  have  their 
special  power  for  good  in  the  real  progress  which  they  secure 
toward  the  true  goal.  In  the  use  of  intermediate  goals  it  is 
very  important  that  no  backward  steps  shall  be  taken,  but 
that  forward  steps  toward  the  true  goal  shall  progress  as 
rapidly  as  possible.  This  goal  has  been  fittingly  expressed 
by  The  Christian  Unity  Foundation  which  aims  at  "  The 
union  of  the  Christians  of  all  the  world,  Protestant,  Eastern, 
Roman  Catholic,  everybody,  everywhere." 

This  is  the  goal  because  it  is  the  ideal  condition  of  the 
church  as  taught  by  the  scriptures.  Many  Christians  of  the 
present  day  have  seen  this  vision  and  have  felt  the  pressure 
of  its  power  upon  their  minds  and  hearts.  This  is  the  ideal 
which  keeps  intruding  itself  upon  the  souls  of  these  earnest 
workers  for  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  in  the  world,  and  will 
not  cease  to  fascinate  and  charm  them,  and  the  number  of 
those  who  see  the  vision  and  feel  the  power  of  this  ideal  seems 
to  be  growing  rapidly.  By  its  influence  they  have  wider  aims 
in  all  their  efforts  to  advance  the  reign  of  Christ  among 
men  and  are  stimulated  in  their  purpose  to  put  the  interests 
of  His  Kingdom  above  those  of  any  sect,  or  denomination. 
Through  its  benign  effect  upon  their  hearts,  their  goodwill, 
kindness  and  sympathy  go  out  to  Christian  people  and  their 
work  wherever  they  are  found.  It  stimulates  them  to  pray 
for  the  fulfillment  of  the  vision. 

For  many  centuries  this  ideal  of  unity  has  been  largely 
lost  to  the  church  which  has  gone  on  dividing  and  subdivid- 


Onward  Toward  the  Goal 


39 


ing  until  we  have  in  America,  according  to  a  late  bulletin 
of  the  United  States  Census  Bureau,  two  hundred  one 
denominations,  and  in  other  Christian  countries  similar  divi- 
sions are  alike  numerous.  The  Church  of  Christ  is  surely 
a  divided  house.  How  can  it  continue  to  stand  if  it  remains 
divided?  The  great  wonder  is  that  it  has  stood  so  long  in 
its  divided  state.  But  it  has  lost  much  of  its  vitality  and 
power  and  needs  to  be  revived  and  reinvigorated.  The 
restoration  of  Christ's  ideal  for  the  unity  of  His  Church 
would  surely  prove  an  effective  means  in  securing  such  a  re- 
vival and  reinvigoration.  The  trend  toward  unity  now  in 
evidence  is  one  which  shows  that  the  restoration  of  His  ideal 
is  making  progress,  and  bids  fair  to  extend  itself  through- 
out Christendom.  The  full  recognition  of  this  ideal  by  all 
those  who  profess  to  be  the  followers  of  Christ  would  soon 
make  the  church  to  be  a  much  better  representative  than  it 
now  is  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  upon  the  earth,  and  would 
secure  for  it  those  conditions  and  characteristics  which  would 
establish  its  claim  to  be  a  special  representative  and  exponent 
of  that  Kingdom. 

That  Jesus'  ideal  for  his  church  was  one  of  complete  and 
perfect  unity  is  evident  from  what  He  said  and  did  regard- 
ing it  and  from  the  standards  of  living  given  to  His  fol- 
lowers. In  the  first  place  all  His  teaching  in  regard  to  the 
Kingdom  of  God  is  very  suggestive  of  His  ideal  of  unity  for 
His  Church.  He  spoke  very  often  of  this  Kingdom  and 
always  referred  to  it  as  a  united  Kingdom.  In  His  presenta- 
tion of  the  laws  and  principles  of  government  for  this  King- 
dom, in  His  inaugural  address  as  the  King  appointed  and 
anointed  for  this  Kingdom  He  provides  for  only  one  body 
of  citizens.  All  His  commandments  and  all  His  instructions 
are  for  the  entire  body  of  His  subjects.  All  His  illustrations 
by  parable  of  the  growth  and  development  of  His  Kingdom 


40 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


make  manifest  his  idea  of  a  single  body,  or  organization.  In 
the  parable  of  the  Good  Shepherd  He  asserts  that  there  shall 
be  "  one  flock."  Again,  when  He  came  to  speak  of  His 
church,  which  He  intended  to  found,  He  spoke  of  it  as  one 
church,  calling  it  "  My  church,"  and  not  "  My  churches." 
His  language  indicates  that  in  his  mind  and  purpose  it  was 
to  be  a  single  body  composed  of  all  His  followers.  His 
language  not  only  reveals  His  thought  and  aim,  but  also  shows 
the  desire  of  His  heart  concerning  it.  His  thought,  purpose, 
and  desire  were  that  it  should  all  be  His — His  verj'  own  — 
in  the  fullest  and  completest  manner  and  form.  He  made 
no  suggestion  that  any  divisions  could  exist  in  any  way  ac- 
ceptable to  His  mind  and  will,  or  that  divisive  courses  could 
ever  secure  His  approval.  The  absence  of  any  such  sugges- 
tion from  His  words  in  connection  with  His  positive  refer- 
ences to  a  single  church  is  strong  evidence  of  His  ideal. 

But  a  fuller  proof  of  His  ideal  is  His  prayer  as  the  Great 
Intercessor  of  His  people.  In  this  prayer  He  pleads  "  that 
they  may  all  be  one,  even  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I 
in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us;  that  the  world  may 
believe  that  thou  didst  send  me.  And  the  glory  which  thou 
hast  given  me  I  have  given  unto  them,  that  they  may  be  one, 
even  as  we  are  one;  I  in  them  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may 
be  perfected  into  one,  that  the  world  may  know  that  thou 
didst  send  me,  and  lovedst  them  even  as  thou  lovedst  me " 
(John  17:21-23).  In  this  prayer  Jesus  shows  that  He  was 
well  aware  of  the  weakness  of  human  nature  and  the  possibility 
of  division  in  His  church  because  of  this  weakness,  and  that 
He  was  anxious  to  guard  His  followers  against  such  a  con- 
dition. It  was  His  consciousness  of  their  danger  that  led 
Him  to  plead  so  earnestly  with  the  Father  for  the  preservation 
and  perfection  of  their  unity.  In  this  prayer  He  gives  His 
ideal  of  a  model  for  their  unity.    This  model  is  the  oneness 


Onward  Toward  the  Goal 


41 


of  the  Father  and  the  Son :  "  Even  as  thou,  Father,  art  in 
me,  and  I  in  thee  " ;  "  That  they  may  be  one  even  as  we  are 
one."  Jesus'  repetition  of  reference  to  this  model  seems  to 
stress  its  importance  as  one  to  be  sought  after  and  foUovped 
by  His  people.  The  oneness  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  is  a 
unity  of  administration  as  well  as  one  of  thought,  disposi- 
tion, and  general  aim;  a  unity  of  organized  effort  as  well  as 
one  of  mind  and  heart.  The  beauty  and  excellence  of  this 
model  can  be  seen  and  appreciated  only  by  the  clear  vision  of 
the  eye  of  faith.  As  the  church  is  full  of  faith  in  the  Father 
and  the  Son  its  vision  of  their  unity  becomes  a  power  to 
bind  its  parts  together  and  make  of  them  one  body.  Again, 
this  prayer  of  Jesus  reveals  His  ideal  in  regard  to  whom  this 
unity  shall  include.  His  prayer  "  that  they  all  may  be  one  " 
shows  the  wide  range  of  His  anxiety  and  the  universality  of 
His  desire  for  His  people.  Whatever  their  condition  and 
circumstance  in  life,  His  great  concern  is  that  they  may  be  one 
in  their  fellowship  and  intercourse  as  well  as  in  their  inward 
spirit,  thought,  and  purpose.  Whatever  their  differences  of 
knowledge,  taste,  disposition,  and  like  qualities,  these  are 
to  be  reconciled  and  harmonized  in  a  unity  which  shall  in- 
clude "  all,"  and  the  term  "  all  "  as  used  by  Him  is  to  be 
understood  in  its  widest  and  most  comprehensive  sense.  At 
least  it  includes  every  follower  of  Christ  who  at  any  given 
time  is  dwelling  on  the  earth  and  is  connected  with  any  of 
the  organizations  which  claim  to  be  a  part  of  His  church. 
His  ideal  was  world-wide  in  its  inclusion. 

Still  further,  the  intercessory  prayer  of  Jesus  shows  that 
His  ideal  of  unity  among  His  people  includes  its  outward 
manifestation.  He  was  concerned  about  a  unity  that  could  be 
seen'  and  by  which  the  world  might  learn  the  nature  of 
His  mission  and  the  reality  of  the  Father's  love  for  His 
children.    He  is  anxious  that  the  evidence  of  outward  mani- 


42 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


festation  be  clear  and  effective.  He  wants  the  world  to  have 
the  proof  that  there  is  a  real  spiritual  unity  among  His  people 
and  thus  to  get  the  evidence  that  there  is  power  in  His  gospel 
to  affect  the  lives  of  men,  and  therefore  that  it  is  true.  What 
proof  is  there  to  the  world  concerning  the  mission  of  Jesus 
and  the  love  of  the  Father  in  a  spiritual  unity  which  is  largely 
hidden  and  entirely  too  invisible  because  of  the  rivalries, 
jealousies,  animosities,  strifes  and  wasted  effort  and  resources 
of  a  divided  church?  Jesus  was  anxious  for  a  unity  which 
would  be  in  evidence  for  the  good  of  His  Kingdom  and  would 
prove  to  men  the  power  of  His  gospel  to  transform  men  and 
enable  them  to  dwell  together  in  peace  and  harmony.  This 
unity  was  not  merely  one  which  He  himself  could  see  and 
appreciate,  but  one  that  the  world  could  see  and  feel  the 
power  thereof.  But  the  church  has  not  fulfilled  His  ideal. 
It  has  not  been  a  good  witness  to  His  mission  and  the 
Father's  love,  because  of  its  dissensions  and  divisions.  Men 
of  the  world  are  unwilling  to  believe  that  there  is  any  unity 
of  great  value  among  Christians  of  different  denominations 
because  the  evidences  of  division  and  separation  are  much  the 
greater  to  them.  They  see  in  abundance,  the  signs  of  rivalry, 
competition  and  antagonism,  and  sometimes  of  enmity,  and 
too  few  that  any  real  unity  exists.  Great  power  would  be 
given  to  the  church's  testimony  concerning  the  character  and 
work  of  Jesus  and  the  love  of  the  Father  by  the  coming 
together  into  one  great  visible  body  of  all  who  profess  to  be 
His  followers. 

Moreover,  the  ideal  of  Jesus  for  His  people,  as  shown  by 
this  praj'er,  includes  the  perfection  of  their  unity.  He  en- 
treats the  Father  "  that  they  may  be  perfected  into  one."  He 
wishes  for  them  a  unity  outwardly  manifested  which  is  adapted 
to  every  condition,  circumstance  and  attainment  to  which  the 
church  may  come,  a  unity  that  is  commensurate  with  its  high- 


Onward  Toward  the  Goal 


43 


est  possibilities  and  progress.  Perfection  of  unity  is  a  very 
high  ideal,  and  yet  this  is  just  what  Jesus  longed  for,  not 
only  in  the  case  of  His  disciples  then,  but  also  in  the  case  of 
all  who  would  believe  on  Him  through  their  word.  When 
He  offered  this  prayer  He  was  well  aware  of  all  the  difficulties 
that  might  lie  in  the  way  of  attaining  this  perfection,  for  He 
knew  what  is  in  man,  and  yet  this  was  His  ideal  for  His 
church,  and  He  must  have  thought  it  both  possible  and  practi- 
cable. He  was  one  who  understood  thoroughly  the  weak- 
nesses, follies,  foibles  and  sins  inherent  in  human  nature,  but 
He  perceived  also  its  possibilities  when  regenerated  and 
brought  under  the  full  power  of  great  and  high  ideals.  He 
carefully  weighed  the  tendency  and  power  of  selfishness  and 
its  allied  sins,  to  hinder  and  mar  that  perfection  of  unity 
which  He  so  earnestly  desired,  but  was  assured  that  the 
abundant  life  which  he  could  impart  to  them  would  gain  for 
them  a  triumphant  victory  over  this  evil  tendency  and  power. 
While  He  saw  the  possibility  of  discord,  dissension,  defection, 
and  division  among  them,  yea  even  the  reality  of  these  evils, 
He  provided  a  powerful  panacea  for  such  ruinous  conditions 
in  the  exaltation  of  His  ideal  for  their  unity  and  in  His  prayer 
for  its  realization.  Surely  the  fact  that  this  is  His  ideal  and 
that  as  the  Great  High  Priest  of  His  people  He  interceded 
on  its  behalf  ought  to  be  an  effective  antidote  against  such 
evils,  and  a  great  source  of  healing  when  they  have  arisen. 

The  ideal  of  Jesus  in  regard  to  the  unity  of  His  people  is 
shown,  also,  by  the  "  new  commandment  "  which  he  gave  them. 
This  commandment  requires  "  that  ye  love  one  another  "  and 
is  followed  by  His  declaration  that  this  love  shall  be  a  test 
of  their  discipleship.  In  this  commandment  and  its  accom- 
panying declaration  strong  emphasis  is  surely  placed  by  our 
Savior  upon  that  grace  and  virtue  which  is  "  the  bond  of 
perfectness."    He  was  certainly  very  anxious  that  His  disciples 


44 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


should  realize  and  manifest  the  power  of  love  in  their  fellow- 
ship with  one  another  both  for  their  own  good  and  for  the 
good  of  humanity.  He  thoroughly  understood  how  great  an 
antidote  it  would  prove  to  be  against  all  rancorous  feelings 
and  divisive  courses  and  knew  that  where  love  reigns  peace 
and  harmony  are  sure  to  prevail.  He  was  anxious,  too,  about 
its  influence  upon  those  belonging  to  the  world  because  of  its 
power  to  prove  to  them  the  truthfulness  and  efficacy  of  His 
gospel  as  well  as  the  sincerity  of  His  followers'  discipleship. 
In  His  new  commandment  as  well  as  in  His  intercessory  prayer 
the  Great  Teacher  showed  His  deep  concern  that  His  disciples 
should  come  into  the  possession  of  that  ideal  and  its  cor- 
responding grace  which  are  so  essential  to  their  perfection  as 
individual  Christians  and  as  well  to  their  perfection  as  the 
organized  body  of  His  people.  He  wanted  them  to  realize 
that  in  the  fullest  possession  and  development  of  this  ideal 
and  grace  they  Avould  have  those  qualities  which  would  make 
them  most  acceptable  to  Him  and  most  useful  to  the  interests 
of  His  Kingdom  in  the  world.  It  is  very  significant  that 
on  another  occasion,  that  of  His  inaugural  address  as  King 
and  Head  of  the  Church,  He  gave  the  commandment  "  Be 
ye  perfect  as  your  Heavenly  Father  is  perfect  "  in  regard  to 
love  in  its  fullest  and  widest  application,  and  thus  He  taught 
that  the  highest  perfection  of  character  for  the  individual 
and  the  church  is  possible  only  through  the  possession  and 
manifestation  of  this  grace.  He  was  presenting  the  laws  of 
His  Kingdom  when  He  gave  this  commandment  and  no  doubt 
intended  it  for  the  special  guidance  and  development  of  His 
church,  for  He  could  appreciate,  as  no  one  else,  the  power 
of  love  to  bind  and  hold  men  together  and  make  their  work 
most  effective  in  the  interests  of  His  Kingdom. 

Jesus'  ideal  of  unity  among  His  people  was  very  fully  in- 
dorsed by  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  early  days  of 


Onward  Toward  the  Goal 


45 


Christianity.  The  Spirit's  influence  and  power  in  carrying 
forward  Jesus'  ideal  into  the  infant  church  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  the  concord  and  peace  of  the  church  was  recognized 
as  the  result  of  the  Spirit's  work  and  called  "  the  unity  of  the 
Spirit."  It  may  well  be  claimed  that  it  was  a  most  im- 
portant part  of  the  Spirit's  mission  and  work  to  nurture  and 
perfect  this  ideal  in  the  minds  of  the  Apostles  and  their  fol- 
lowers as  the  founders  of  the  Christian  church.  Under  His 
influence  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  a  fine  spirit  of  concord  pre- 
vailed among  the  multitude  of  worshippers  who  were  present. 
The  members  of  that  large  assembly  had  come  together  from 
all  quarters  of  the  compass  and  from  long  distances  and  were 
bound  together  in  one  body  with  one  mind  and  one  heart. 
The  Spirit  so  controlled  that  mixed  multitude  that  all  its  parts 
were  firmly  cemented  in  the  bonds  of  Christian  faith  and 
love,  and  so  thoroughly  united  them  that  they  were  willing 
to  possess  all  things  in  common.  It  is  evident  to  the  Bible 
student  that  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  church  was  char- 
acterized by  the  presence  and  power  of  that  ideal  of  unity 
which  Jesus  taught,  and  which  the  Holy  Spirit  was  sent  to 
inculcate  and  perfect.  Again,  the  Holy  Spirit  bore  witness  to 
this  ideal  in  the  council  at  Jerusalem.  A  very  delicate  ques- 
tion had  been  brought  before  the  Apostles  and  elders  for 
settlement,  and  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  was  necessary  to 
the  preservation  of  the  unity  and  peace  of  the  primitive  church, 
for  there  had  been  much  discussion  and  contention  over  this 
question  in  Antioch,  a  very  active  part  of  the  church.  After 
appropriate  discussion  in  the  council  at  Jerusalem  a  decision 
was  reached  which  preserved  the  church's  unity  and  assured 
the  Apostles  and  elders  that  they  had  been  guided  by  the  Spirit 
in  reaching  their  decision.  They  believed  that  the  promise 
of  the  Savior  in  regard  to  the  sending  of  the  Spirit  as  their 
teacher  and  guide  had  been  fulfilled  to  them  in  their  united 


46 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


action  as  a  body  of  believers,  and  that  it  was  fitting  for  them 
to  say  in  the  report  of  their  action,  "  It  seemed  good  to  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  to  us"  (Acts  15:28). 

The  Holy  Spirit  has  borne  witness  to  this  ideal,  too,  in 
the  fruits  which  He  has  ever  produced  in  the  lives  of  those 
in  whom  He  dwells  and  to  whom  He  gives  continually  the 
light  of  life.  These  fruits  are  the  graces  which  ennoble  and 
purify  Christian  character.  He  is  ,the  special  source  of  all 
such  virtues  as  enable  the  followers  of  Christ  to  live,  worship, 
and  work  together  in  peace  and  harmony,  and  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Christian  church  He  has  been  striving  to  instill 
these  graces  and  virtues  into  the  minds  and  hearts  of  all  who 
are  willing  to  receive  His  guidance  and  to  be  obedient  to  His 
teaching.  Wherever  and  whenever  these  fruits  abound,  there 
the  spirit  of  unity  is  found  and  manifests  itself  in  the  har- 
mortious  condition  of  the  church,  but  where  these  fruits  are 
deficient  and  defective,  there  alienations,  discord,  and  separa- 
tions are  wont  to  take  place.  When  the  members  of  the 
church  are  walking  in  the  Spirit,  gentleness,  kindness,  gener- 
osity, brotherly  love  and  goodwill  are  much  manifested,  and  it 
is  through  the  production  and  perfection  of  these  fruits  that 
the  unity  of  Christ's  people  is  nurtured  and  made  strong.  In 
so  far  as  the  harvest  of  such  fruitage  has  been  short  in  past 
years  of  the  church's  history  the  cause  has  been  in  the  nature 
of  the  soil  in  which  the  seed  was  sown  and  not  in  the  quality 
of  the  seed  sown  by  the  Spirit.  He  has  sown  good  seed  in 
His  field! 

Jesus'  ideal  was  recognized  and  taught  by  the  Apostles. 
The  apostle  Paul  showed  his  apprehension  of  its  significance 
when  he  wrote:  "  Put  on,  therefore,  as  the  elect  of  God, 
holy  and  beloved,  a  heart  of  compassion,  kindness,  lowliness, 
meekness,  long  suffering,  forbearing  one  another  and  forgiving 
one  another,  if  any  man  have  a  complaint  against  any:  even 


Omvard  Toivard  the  Goal 


47 


as  the  Lord  forgave  you,  so  also  do  ye:  and  above  all  these 
things  put  on  love,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness:  and  let 
the  peace  of  Christ  rule  in  your  hearts,  to  the  which  also  ye 
are  called  in  one  body:  and  be  ye  thankful"  (Col.  3:  12-15). 
Again  and  again  in  his  epistles  he  emphasized  the  importance 
of  such  graces  and  virtues  as  make  for  unity  and  censured 
the  evils  which  destroy  it.  His  first  letter  to  the  church  at 
Corinth  is  an  argument  and  appeal  in  regard  to  the  con- 
servation of  the  unit\-  of  that  church.  The  Apostle  Peter 
stresses  the  importance  of  this  ideal  when  he  writes:  "  Finally 
be  ye  all  likeminded,  sympathetic,  loving  as  brethren,  tender- 
hearted, humble-minded :  not  rendering  evil  for  evil,  or  re- 
viling for  reviling:  but  contrariwise  blessing:  for  hereunto 
were  ye  called,  that  ye  might  inherit  a  blessing"  (I  Pet.  3:  8, 
9).  The  apostle  James  gave  recognition  to  Jesus'  ideal  when 
he  wrote  "  And  let  patience  have  her  perfect  work,  that  ye 
may  be  perfect  and  entire  lacking  nothing"  (Jas.  1:4). 
"  But  the  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand ;  be  ye  therefore  of 
sound  minds  and  be  sober  unto  prayer;  above  all  things  being 
fervent  in  your  love  among  yourselves;  for  love  covereth  a 
multitude  of  sins"  (Jas.  4:7,  8).  The  Apostle  John  shows 
his  high  appreciation  in  his  exaltation  of  love  as  a  grace  among 
brethren.  How  significant  such  statements  as  these:  "We 
know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life  because  we 
love  the  brethren  "  (I  John  3:  14)  ;  "  If  we  love  one  another, 
God  abideth  in  us,  and  His  love  is  perfected  in  us"  (I  Jno. 
4:  12)  ;  "  Hereby  we  know  that  we  love  the  children  of  God, 
when  we  love  God  and  do  His  commandments  "  (I  Jno.  5:2). 
The  writings  of  the  Apostles  are  full  of  earnest  exhortations 
in  regard  to  the  cultivation  and  development  of  those  graces 
and  virtues  which  make  for  unity  in  the  church.  Their  ideal 
was  very  clearly  one  of  the  complete  inclusion  of  all  believers 
in  any  city,  town,  or  community,  in  one  church,  and  a  per- 


48 


The  Movement  Toiicrd  Unity 


fectly  harmonious  adjustment  of  the  churches  in  different 
cities,  towns  and  communities  toward  one  another.  The  stress 
which  they  place  upon  the  virtues  which  make  for  harmony 
and  peace  among  brethren  is  evidence  of  the  strong  hold  which 
this  ideal  had  taken  upon  their  minds  and  their  hearts. 

The  Scriptural  ideal  of  unity  is  also  indicated  by  the  cen- 
sures and  penalties  which  are  shown  to  have  been  visited 
upon  those  who  marred  and  destroyed  it.  In  the  Old  Testa- 
ment the  curse  pronounced  by  the  angel  upon  Meroz  was 
uttered  because  that  city  had  failed  to  recognize  and  assume 
its  responsibility  in  defending  and  maintaining  the  unity  of 
God's  chosen  people.  The  punishment  visited  by  Gideon  upon 
Succoth  and  Penuel  was  on  account  of  their  refusal  to  recog- 
nize the  unity  of  all  those  whom  he  was  fighting  to  deliver. 
The  sacred  historians  put  a  severe  stigma  upon  the  name  of 
Jereboam  when  they  repeat  so  often  the  description  of  him 
as  the  man  "  who  taught  Israel  to  sin."  His  great  sin  was 
his  destroying  of  the  unity  of  God's  people.  In  the  New 
Testament  the  Apostle  Paul  taught  the  members  of  the  Cor- 
inthian church  that  they  were  "  carnal  "  because  of  their  divi- 
sions, and  the  Apostle  James  in  his  message  to  the  church  at 
large  wrote:  "  If  ye  have  bitter  jealousy  and  faction  in  your 
heart,  glory  not  and  lie  not  against  the  truth.  This  wisdom  is 
not  a  wisdom  that  cometh  down  from  above,  but  is  earthly, 
sensual,  devilish.  For  where  jealousy  and  faction  are,  there 
is  confusion  and  every  evil  deed"  (Jas.  3:14-16).  Thus 
it  is  seen  that  from  every  standpoint  of  fair  interpretation 
and  just  inference  the  Scriptures  uphold  a  unity  in  the  church 
that  is  complete  and  perfect  in  both  its  spirit  and  manifesta- 
tion. 

This  ideal  of  unity  does  not  exclude  diversities  of  talent, 
effort,  and  accomplishment,  but  implies  the  necessary  existence 
of  such  diversities.    Unity  is  not  the  same  as  uniformity  where 


Onivard  Toward  the  Goal 


49 


everything  is  just  alike,  but  means  that  while  there  may  be 
many  and  very  marked  diversities  the  most  vital  and  im- 
portant things  are  held  in  common.  It  is  the  fact  that  unity 
transcends  in  importance  these  diversities  of  gifts  and  talents 
that  gives  to  it  its  great  value.  It  is  because  it  can  bind  and 
hold  together  those  who  differ  from  one  another  in  many 
respects  and  very  greatly  that  it  is  so  essential  to  the  welfare 
of  the  church.  It  brings  these  differences  of  talent  and  at- 
tainment into  harmony  with  one  another  and  with  the  most 
vital  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  brings  to  the  light  the  most 
noble  and  praiseworthy  of  all  Christian  qualities.  It  is  the 
great  diapason  of  the  church's  life  in  harmony  with  which 
every  manifestation  of  its  life  must  be  properly  attuned.  Jesus 
was  well  aware  of  these  diversities  when  He  prayed  that  His 
followers  might  "  be  perfected  into  one,"  and  Paul  showed 
his  full  recognition  of  their  nature  and  of  the  relation  of 
unity  to  their  existence  in  his  letter  to  the  church  at  Corinth. 
The  church  needs  many  diversities  of  gifts,  talents  and  attain- 
ments. It  needs  a  better  distribution  and  use  of  them  than 
it  enjoys  to-day.  There  is  abundant  room  in  every  part  of  the 
Christian  world  for  "  diversities  of  gifts,  ministrations  and 
workings  "  rather  than  for  so  many  administrations  and  divisive 
teachings  and  duplicate  equipments. 

It  is  not  necessar>'  to  inquire  here  when  and  how  the  church 
took  its  departure  from  the  ideal  of  Jesus  in  regard  to  its 
unity.  It  is  sufficient  to  recognize  that  the  church's  apostasy 
from  this  ideal  became  exceedingly  great  and  wrought  much 
injury  and  harm  to  the  Kingdom  of  Christ,  and  to  know  that 
a  return  to  this  ideal  has  begun  to  appear.  As  has  been  shown 
on  previous  pages,  manifestations  of  the  spirit  of  unity  have 
been  increasing  and  have  shown  encouraging  signs  of  progress. 
And  there  is  no  movement  within  the  churches  of  to-day  of 
greater  significance  than  this.    It  has  been  said  again  and 


50 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


again  that  Christianity  is  now  on  trial  before  the  world.  In 
such  a  time  it  specially  needs  every  grace  and  quality  possess- 
ing proof  of  its  divine  origin  and  its  power  to  help  men  to 
solve  rightly  life's  great  problems.  It  is  a  time  when  the  great- 
est of  the  graces  and  the  highest  of  all  virtues  in  the  church 
should  be  exalted  to  its  proper  place  in  the  life  of  the  church. 
It  is  a  time  to  press  onward  toward  the  goal  of  Christian  unity, 
the  ideal  of  the  church's  Founder. 

Many  steps  are  yet  to  be  taken  before  the  goal  of  unity 
is  reached,  but  the  number  of  steps  ought  not  to  hinder  the 
effort  to  press  onward.  The  way  of  progress  is  by  successive 
steps,  but  there  must  first  be  the  desire  and  purpose  to  go  for- 
ward. The  thought  that  will  awaken  such  desire  and  purpose 
is  very  vital  as  the  procuring  cause  of  forward  effort.  This 
thought  is  often  an  ideal  whose  moving  power  is  great  according 
to  its  own  inherent  greatness  and  its  hold  upon  the  mind. 
Jesus'  ideal  for  his  church  is  a  great  ideal  and  when  fully  and 
keenly  grasped  has  great  power  to  fill  the  mind  with  such 
thoughts  of  unity  as  will  awaken  desires  and  purposes  to  move 
forward  toward  the  goal  of  a  united  and  universal  church.  No 
greater  and  more  essential  work  can  be  accomplished  than  the 
dissemination  in  the  minds  of  Christian  leaders,  workers,  and 
professors  in  general,  Jesus'  ideal  of  Christian  unity.  The 
general  recognition  and  acceptance  of  this  ideal  would  work 
wonders  for  this  cause.  The  propagation  of  this  ideal  is  a 
fundamental  and  most  substantial  step  toward  its  realization. 
Why  should  it  not  become  the  leading  propaganda  in  the  educa- 
tional work  of  all  denominations? 

A  very  important  step  that  could  be  taken  in  many  towns 
and  country  places  is  the  union,  or  federation,  of  the  several 
small  congregations  located  in  these  places  into  one  strong  and 
well-equipped  body  of  Christian  workers  and  people.  This  has 
been  done  already  in  an  encouraging  number  of  places  and  is 


Onward  Toward  the  Goal 


51 


a  plan  which  might  be  generally  adopted  in  both  large  and 
small  communities.  A  single  congregation  well  supported  and 
equipped  will  serve  any  town  or  community  infinitely  better 
than  several  weak  and  struggling  congregations  can  do,  and 
will  remove  the  chief  cause  of  jealousies  and  strife,  which  are 
so  likely  to  be  aroused  in  overchurched  communities.  No 
greater  and  better  work  could  be  accomplished  in  many  places 
than  the  union,  or  federation,  of  the  churches  located  in  them. 
Such  a  step  would  bring  peace  and  prosperity  to  the  Kingdom 
of  Christ,  growth  in  grace  to  all  believers,  and  evidence  to  the 
people  of  the  world  that  the  church  has  great  power  for  good 
to  its  conununity. 

Further  steps  toward  unity  are  still  possible  and  desirable 
by  the  union  of  the  different  members  in  family  groups  of 
churches.  The  process  of  unification  that  has  been  going  on 
in  all  the  great  families  of  the  church  may  well  be  broadened, 
enlarged,  strengthened.  The  different  members  of  these 
families  are  close  of  kith  and  kin  and  already  have  many  points 
in  common.  Because  they  have  kinship  and  so  much  in 
common  they  ought  the  more  easily  and  readily  to  come  to- 
gether, and  that  they  are  the  more  readily  united  is  evident 
from  the  list  of  unions  that  have  been  formed  within  the  last 
half  century  and  more.  This  uniting  of  different  members 
of  family  groups  is  a  work  of  great  possibilities  in  the  on- 
ward progress  of  the  cause  of  unity  toward  its  goal. 

Another  great  step  toward  the  goal  would  be  the  complete 
uniting  into  one  large  body  of  all  the  denominations  which 
have  joined  together  in  forming  the  Federal  Council  of  the 
Churches  of  Christ  in  America.  The  formation  of  this  Council 
was  in  itself  a  great  step  toward  unity,  and  it  has  brought 
the  churches  in  it  together  in  a  very  useful  and  effective  way, 
but  surely  this  was  not  the  last  step  to  be  taken.  The  fact 
that  these  denominations  have  come  together  in  the  work  of 


52 


The  Aloiement  loiiard  Unity 


the  Council  is  very  suggestive  that  they  may  soon  be  ready 
for  a  still  greater  and  more  vital  step, —  that  of  their  com- 
plete union  in  one  great  body  of  a  single  church.  The  good 
that  has  already  been  wrought  by  the  formation  and  workings 
of  the  Council  would  be  greatly  enlarged  and  perfected  by 
their  uniting  in  one  great  organization.  The  vision  of  such 
a  union  is  ver\"  entrancing  and  inspiring. 

A  still  greater  step  toward  the  goal  would  be  the  coming 
together  of  all  the  churches  in  America  in  the  formation  of 
one  great  American  church.  The  possibility  of  such  an  event 
was  discussed  at  length  some  years  ago  by  Professor  Charles 
W.  Shields,  of  Princeton  University",  in  his  book,  "  The  United 
Church  in  The  United  States."'  He  had  a  deep  conviction 
that  in  America  are  to  be  found  the  most  favorable  conditions 
for  the  solution  of  the  problems  pertaining  to  unit}'.  Un- 
doubtedly the  tendenc)"  among  the  churches  in  this  country- 
through  social  intercourse  and  unconscious  imitation  to  be- 
come alike  has  been  very  strong.  It  is  very-  evident  to  every 
observer  that  forms  of  worship  and  methods  and  means  of 
service  are  \er\  similar  in  all  denominations.  One  church 
has  been  influenced  by  another  until  great  uniformity  prevails 
among  them  ever\-\vhere.  It  would  require  \tr\  little  change 
in  the  churches  of  any  city,  town,  or  rural  community,  to 
become  one  assembly  of  worshippers  and  to  carry  on  all  the 
Christian  work  the>-  all  respectively  are  doing,  but  the  economy 
and  efficiency  of  the  work  would  be  much  enhanced.  The 
vision  of  a  great  American  Church  may  well  be  cherished. 
The  various  denominations  have  already  joined  their  efforts 
in  many  forms  of  war-work  in  the  united  senice  of  their 
country,  and  thus  the  possibility  of  their  uniting  in  every 
form  of  Christian  worship  and  work  has  been  foreshadowed. 
Those  who  have  wrought  together  for  the  good  of  their  country' 
along  religious  and  benevolent  lines  and  have  realized  the 


Onward  Toward  the  Goal 


53 


need  of  such  united  service,  will  soon  be  persuaded  that  the 
welfare  of  the  church  demands  the  united  strength  and  ef- 
fort of  one  great  body  of  Christian  workers  which  extends  to 
ever>'  nook  and  corner  of  the  land.  It  does  not  seem  too 
visionary  to  hope  and  believe  that  out  of  the  conditions  now 
prevailing  there  is  possible  to  the  whole  church  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  this  country  such  a  spirit  of  unity  as  shall  soon  result  in 
one  great  American  Church.  The  thought  of  such  a  possible 
outcome  ought  to  make  a  strong  appeal  to  the  hearts  of  all 
who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  are  deeply  interested 
in  the  progress  of  His  Kingdom.  But  such  a  church  would  be 
a  failure  without  a  universal  vision,  and  an  aim  and  purpose 
comprehensive  of  the  highest  welfare  of  the  whole  human  race. 
It  could  not  truly  represent  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  be  simply 
a  national  institution.  Its  national  organization  as  well  as 
local  must  relate  in  its  administration,  spirit,  and  activity  to 
the  interests  and  welfare  of  the  Kingdom  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  throughout  the  world. 


GREATER  UNITY  AND  THE  CHURCH'S 
MISSION 


REATER  unitj'  than  now  exists  is  necessary  for  the 


Vj  better  fulfillment  of  the  Church's  mission.  That  the 
church  was  created  and  appointed  by  its  Founder  to  be  the 
special  instrument  for  a  particular  work  exceedingly  important 
to  the  welfare  of  humanity  has  long  been  the  accepted  belief 
of  Christian  people  everywhere.  Just  what  its  special  mission 
is  may  be  rather  vague  in  the  minds  of  many,  and  yet  they 
have  heard  and  seen  so  many  illusions  to  it  in  religious  teach- 
ing and  in  current  religious  literature  that  they  are  impressed 
with  the  fact  that  this  mission  is  one  of  great  importance  and 
value.  No  one,  indeed,  is  competent  to  fully  comprehend  the 
nature  and  scope  of  the  work  which  the  church  was  created 
to  accomplish.  It  is  a  work  which  is  so  very  far-reaching  in 
the  range  of  its  effects.  While  its  mission  is  spiritual  and  has 
to  do  with  spiritual  results,  yet  it  is  one  in  which  material 
organization  and  agencies  are  appointed  to  be  used  in  the  at- 
tainment of  its  spiritual  ends.  Its  work  is  the  greatest  in  the 
world  and  requires  the  most  harmonious  cooperation  of  all 
its  agencies  for  the  best  accomplishment  of  that  work.  Any 
condition  which  hampers,  hinders,  restrains,  or  to  any  degree 
makes  ineffective  the  accomplishment  of  the  church's  mission 
ought  to  be  removed.  Such  a  condition  is  antagonistic  to  the 
wise  and  benevolent  plans  and  purposes  of  its  Founder,  who 
gave  it  existence  and  appointed  it  its  special  field  of  work. 
The  removal  of  such  a  hindrance  is  surely  a  first  duty.  In 
its  divided  state  the  church  has  reached  a  condition  very  harm- 
ful to  the  best  efficiency  of  this  work,  and  the  removal  of  this 


54 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission 


55 


hindrance  naturally  becomes  an  object  of  great  desire  and 
concern  to  all  who  love  the  church  and  want  it  to  gain  the 
fullest  success  in  the  fulfillment  of  its  proper  work.  Nothing 
better  could  be  done  to  insure  to  the  church  a  more  perfect 
accomplishment  of  its  work  than  such  a  state  of  unit^'  and  co- 
operation as  would  give  unmistakable  evidence  that  it  was 
fully  under  the  dominion  and  power  of  the  ideals  which  were 
given  it  at  its  beginning,  and  being  so,  was  fully  guided  by 
the  Spirit  in  its  work.  No  condition  conducive  to  the  church's 
welfare  is  now  demanding  a  fuller  recognition  and  acceptance 
than  the  necessity  of  the  most  complete  and  perfect  manifesta- 
tion of  unity  which  it  is  possible  to  secure.  A  fuller  apprehen- 
sion of  the  mind  and  heart  of  its  Founder  wrought  out  in  the 
union  of  the  parts  of  the  church  now  separated  would  surely 
insure  to  it  much  greater  power  in  the  accomplishment  of  its 
appointed  work  and  enable  it  to  do  much  greater  things  for 
the  cause  of  Christianity  in  the  world  than  are  now  being 
done  by  it,  however  great  the  good  now  being  accomplished. 

I.  Greater  unity  than  now  exists  would  enable  the  church 
to  accomplish  more  perfectly  its  mission  as  the  special  repre- 
sentative of  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  the  earth.  It  was  created 
and  established  as  a  corporate  institution  to  be  such  a  repre- 
sentative. This  is  evident  to  all  who  have  carefully  read  and 
studied  the  teaching  of  the  Apostles  to  whom  Christ  gave 
authority  and  commission  to  organize  the  work  of  His  Church 
and  to  start  it  forward  in  the  accomplishment  of  its  mission. 
After  beginning  the  work  in  Jerusalem  they  went  from  city 
to  city  organizing  the  church  in  ever>'  place  where  converts 
were  secured  so  that  worship  might  be  regularly  held,  the 
truths  and  principles  relating  to  the  Kingdom  of  heaven 
taught,  and  the  work  of  building  up  the  church  as  an  institu- 
tion of  God's  Kingdom  carried  on.  The  history  of  their  work 
as  given  in  the  Acts,  and  their  messages  written  in  connec- 


56 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


tion  with  their  foundation  work  as  given  in  the  epistles,  make 
such  statements  about  the  church  and  its  work  as  show  their 
full  apprehension  of  its  divine  origin  and  purpose.  The  name 
by  which  it  soon  came  to  be  known  is  indicative  of  its  nature 
and  appointment.  The  term  translated  "  church  "  means  an 
assembly  or  association  of  those  "  called  out."  They  could 
not  be  "  the  called  out  "  unless  some  one  had  made  the  call, 
and  to  be  called  out  is  suggestive  that  some  definite  end  is  to 
be  gained,  some  particular  work  to  be  done.  In  the  beginning 
of  the  church  its  members  were  called  to  be  the  possessors 
of  certain  moral  qualities  in  their  relations  to  each  other  and 
to  the  world,  and  to  manifest  in  their  daily  intercourse  and 
conduct  the  presence  of  these  qualities,  and  thus  to  make 
known  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

The  church  was  called  into  existence  to  supersede  the  Israel- 
itish  nation  as  the  divinely  accepted  representative  of  the  King- 
dom of  God  among  men.  During  a  period  of  fifteen  cen- 
turies this  nation  had  been  such  a  representative,  but  had 
been  found  very  deficient  and  sadly  wanting  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  its  mission  as  such  a  representative,  and  had  lost 
its  position  as  such,  at  least  for  a  time.  Whatever  may  be 
true  in  regard  to  its  restoration,  as  taught  by  prophetic  revela- 
tion, the  church  is  now  the  divinely  chosen  representative  of 
the  Kingdom  of  God  and  is  to  continue  to  be  so  until  the 
Kingdom  itself  has  fully  come,  when  it  will  be  exalted  and 
absolutely  perfected  in  the  glories  of  that  Kingdom.  But  as 
the  nation  of  Israel  has  lost  for  a  time  its  glorious  position 
and  privilege  as  the  chosen  representative  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God  why  may  not  the  church  through  its  weakness,  sins, 
and  follies  bring  upon  itself  the  same  or  a  similar  result?  The 
nation  of  Israel  failed  for  want  of  unity  as  a  distinguishing 
characteristic.    Why  is  not  the  failure  of  the  church  invited 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission 


57 


and  its  welfare  much  endangered  by  the  same  outstanding 
cause  ? 

The  church  is  not  the  Kingdom  of  God,  but  a  divinely 
ordained  representative  of  that  Kingdom,  a  corporate  institu- 
tion to  carry  on  that  Kingdom's  work.  The  Kingdom  of 
God  in  its  fullest  meaning  includes  all  of  God's  creation,  which 
is  under  His  dominion  and  subject  to  His  absolute  and  ultimate 
control.  In  this  wider  Kingdom  there  are  enemies  and  op- 
posing forces,  over  whom  He  is  sure  in  the  end  to  be  com- 
pletely victorious,  and  to  gain  perfect  subjugation  and  com- 
plete control.  This  is  the  universal  Kingdom  of  which  the 
scriptures  often  speak,  as  when  the  Psalmist  says:  "  The  Lord 
hath  prepared  His  throne  in  the  heavens,  and  His  Kingdom 
ruleth  over  all"  (Psalm  103:19).  But  the  Kingdom  of 
God  in  its  more  limited  sense,  and  as  it  is  to  be  represented 
by  the  church,  is  His  Kingdom  of  grace  composed  of  those  who 
recognize  His  sovereign  rights,  accept  Jesus  Christ  as  their 
king,  and  are  obedient  to  all  the  laws  which  His  love  has 
provided  for  their  welfare.  This  is  the  kingdom  for  which 
Jesus  taught  us  to  pray  in  the  petitions,  "  Thy  Kingdom 
come,"  "  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven."  This 
Kingdom  is  wholly  spiritual  in  its  nature  and  work,  but  has 
ver>'  much  to  do  with  spirits  yet  embodied  and  therefore  is 
necessitated  to  employ  an  institution  in  its  work  which  has  a 
corporate  existence.  It  is  thus  seen  that  the  Kingdom  of  God, 
which  the  church  is  called  to  represent,  is  a  part  of  His  larger 
and  universal  Kingdom,  that  part  in  which  His  authority  is 
recognized.  His  laws  obeyed  and  His  control  most  perfect 
and  complete.  It  is  the  special  office  of  the  church  to  make 
known  His  character,  the  nature  of  His  Kingdom,  His  plans 
and  purposes  for  men,  and  to  urge  subjection  to  His  authority 
and  obedience  to  His  laws. 


58  The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


When  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  spoken  of  as  the  Kingdom 
of  grace,  one  of  its  prominent  characteristics  is  presented.  The 
grace  of  its  Author  and  Founder  are  revealed  in  its  purposes 
and  products.  Grace  and  truth  were  the  two  great  facts 
specially  exhibited  in  the  life  and  character  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Grace  expresses  beauty  of  form  and  character,  holiness,  justice, 
purity,  goodness,  gentleness,  sympathy,  kindness,  all  summed 
up  in  the  sweetest  and  best  of  all  graces  —  love.  Grace  means 
divine  goodness  and  favor  manifested  toward  the  world  in  the 
bestouTnent  of  unnumbered  blessings  upon  the  objects  of  God's 
sovereign  good  will  and  free  choice.  As  the  power  of  God's 
grace  pervades  the  lives  of  men  it  brings  them  close  together 
and  makes  their  relation  to  each  other  most  gracious  with  its 
spirit  of  concord  and  peace.  The  church  can  truly  represent 
such  a  kingdom  and  promote  its  highest  welfare  only  through 
full  outward  manifestations  of  a  gracious  spirit  in  all  its  parts. 

Men's  conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  comes  into  their 
minds  through  their  knowledge,  understanding,  and  apprecia- 
tion of  what  the  church  was  ordained  to  accomplish.  Spiritual 
ideas  are  gained  through  the  suggestive  power  of  material 
things.  Our  truest  and  best  conception  of  God  is  attained 
through  our  knowledge  of  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  who  is  a  per- 
fect representative  of  what  God  is.  So  our  conception  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God  is  gained  through  the  church  as  a  visible 
representative  of  its  nature  and  its  work.  The  fact  that 
God  has  given  us  such  a  corporate  expression  of  His  spiritual 
Kingdom,  so  that  we  may  have  some  comprehension  and  knowl- 
edge of  its  nature  and  blessed  work,  is  a  display  of  His  love 
akin  to  that  which  gave  a  body  of  flesh  to  His  only-begotten 
Son,  when  He  came  to  earth  as  the  Savior  of  mankind.  It  is 
clearly  the  province  of  the  church  to  so  represent  the  King- 
dom of  God  that  its  character  and  work  may  be  most  fully 
and  perfectly  apprehended  by  the  average  man.    In  its  work 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission 


59 


of  instruction  it  is  the  church's  mission  to  so  represent  the  King- 
dom before  men  that  they  shall  see  the  King  in  His  beauty, 
the  righteousness  of  His  laws  and  the  goodness  of  His  ad- 
ministration in  respect  to  the  welfare  of  all  His  subjects.  It 
has  a  work  of  greatest  value  in  the  development  of  that  con- 
ception of  the  Kingdom  which  harmonizes  all  its  members  and 
all  its  parts  in  one  body  of  loyal  subjects  obedient  to  its 
glorious  King.  The  church's  appeal  to  men  to  accept  Jesus 
as  their  King,  to  be  obedient  to  His  laws,  and  thus  to  glorify 
Him  in  their  lives,  can  be  most  effective  only  when  it  is  most 
evident  that  the  church  itself  is  faithfully  doing  these  things 
in  every  way  and  manner.  It  will  be  able  to  harmonize  men 
and  unite  them  in  great  undertakings  for  the  Kingdom  as  its 
own  spirit  of  harmony  and  concord  is  evident.  Much  has 
been  done  toward  the  manifestation  of  this  spirit.  Much 
more  can  yet  be  done. 

2.  Greater  unity  would  enable  the  church  to  fulfill  more  per- 
fectly its  mission  as  the  body  of  Christ.  When  the  Scriptures 
call  it  "  His  body  "  and  use  the  human  body  as  an  illustration 
of  its  nature  and  mission,  they  present  a  very  vivid  concep- 
tion of  its  relation  to  His  work  and  Kingdom  in  the  world. 
The  bodies  of  men  are  the  means,  the  agencies,  by  which 
they  are  known,  the  channel  through  which  each  individual 
spirit  is  revealed,  and  by  which  it  accomplishes  its  work. 
The  mission  of  every  body  is  to  be  a  fit  dwelling  place  for  the 
spirit  which  inhabits  it,  a  suitable  instrument  for  the  expres- 
sion of  its  thoughts,  aims,  and  purposes.  A  healthy  body  is 
one  which  is  fully  responsive  to  its  spirit's  commands,  obedient 
to  its  requirements,  and  subject  to  its  control.  It  has  power 
to  accomplish  things  because  every  part  yields  promptly  to 
the  bidding  of  its  rightful  master.  It  gets  results  in  life  be- 
cause of  its  prompt  and  faithful  obedience  to  the  will  of 
its  own  proper  spirit.    A  sickly  body  is  one  which  is  unre- 


6o 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


sponsive  to  its  spirit's  mandates,  refuses  to  obey  its  require- 
ments, and  is  not  subject  to  its  control.  The  aching  brain 
will  not  think,  the  rheumatic  arm  refuses  to  be  lifted  or 
do  its  work,  the  dyspeptic  stomach  spurns  its  food,  the  gouty 
joints  protest  against  activity  of  any  sort,  the  inflamed  muscles 
are  soon  bereft  of  strength  and  vigor.  The  degree  and  dura- 
tion of  its  infirmity  mark  the  measure  of  its  failure  to  be  a 
suitable  home  for  its  spirit. 

When  Jesus  took  to  Himself  a  human  body  it  became  the 
earthly  home  of  His  spirit  and  the  instrument  by  which  His 
thoughts,  feelings  and  purposes  were  made  known  to  men. 
That  body  was  the  vehicle  by  which  He  conveyed  to  the  minds 
of  men  the  truth  which  He  wanted  them  to  learn.  That  body 
was  the  instrument  by  which  He  brought  healing  and  health 
to  many  a  sufferer.  It  was  the  agent  through  which  the  great- 
ness of  His  love  was  shown.  It  was  the  tool  by  which  He 
exhibited  and  claimed  His  right  to  be  recognized  as  King. 
The  body  of  His  flesh  was  one  of  perfect  health.  It  was 
always  responsive  to  the  call  of  His  spirit,  and  although  it 
became  weary  under  the  burden  of  His  arduous  work  it  soon 
recuperated  and  responded  readily  to  His  demands  upon  it. 
It  was  a  perfect  body  perfectly  adapted  to  its  particular  office 
and  work. 

When  the  church  was  called  to  be  the  body  of  Christ  it  was 
called  to  a  very  high  and  honorable  position.  He  had  promised 
to  send  His  Holy  Spirit  to  abide  with  His  followers,  and  it 
was  fitting  that  His  Spirit  should  be  given  a  body  suited 
to  the  Spirit's  mission  and  work  among  them.  The  church 
was  made  that  body  when  it  was  born  upon  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost and  the  Spirit  took  possession  of  it  as  a  home  in  which 
to  dwell  and  carry  on  His  special  work.  This  body  was 
nurtured  and  guided  by  the  Spirit  in  the  days  of  its  infancy 
and  as  it  grew  and  expanded  in  the  early  days  of  Christianity, 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission  6l 


and  it  has  been  guided  and  helped  through  all  the  centuries 
by  the  same  divine  person,  however  unresponsive,  weak  and 
sickly  it  may  at  any  time  have  become.  He  has  ever  sought 
to  give  it  wisdom,  energy  and  strength.  He  has  used  many 
remedies  in  His  efforts  to  revive  and  restore  its  state  of  health- 
fulness.  He  has  striven  to  make  it  a  vigorous  body,  full 
of  harmonies  throughout  of  part  with  part,  and  having  no 
envies,  jealousies,  strife,  or  contention,  but  perfectly  responsive 
in  all  its  parts  and  members  to  Him  and  to  each  other  as  re- 
lated parts  of  the  same  body.  He  has  sought  to  keep  it  a 
body  fitly  framed  together  so  that  every  part  of  it  would 
be  in  perfect  sympathy  with  every  other  part  and  ready  to  co- 
operate with  it  in  every  good  work.  He  has  endeavored  to 
make  of  it  a  body  perfectly  adapted  and  fitted  for  the  work  it 
was  created  to  accomplish. 

But  the  Spirit's  relation  to  this  body,  which  was  given  Him 
at  the  birth  of  the  infant  church,  has  been  sadly  injured  by 
the  power  of  the  infectious  disease  of  sin  which  was  soon  in- 
jected into  the  church's  life.  The  body  of  Christ  thus  be- 
came affected  with  a  very  serious  and  dangerous  malady. 
The  disease  with  which  it  became  inoculated  has  affected  all 
its  parts,  made  them  more  or  less  unresponsive  to  His  call, 
and  filled  them  with  many  discords  and  disagreements  in  rela- 
tion to  each  other.  For  this  reason  it  has  not  been  able  to 
stand  against  many  of  its  foes,  and  is  weak  and  ineffective 
in  the  accomplishment  of  much  of  its  work.  Its  weakness 
and  want  of  power  have  been  the  subject  in  late  years  of 
much  discussion,  in  which  some  have  regarded  the  church  as 
an  utter  failure,  while  others  recognizing  its  imperfections  yet 
see  in  it  an  institution  which  has  been  a  great  blessing  to  man- 
kind and  one  which  is  yet  to  accomplish  great  things  for  human 
welfare,  when  its  health  has  been  more  perfectly  restored. 
Those  who  see  the  good  already  done,  and  great  possibilities 


62 


The  Moi'ement  Touard  Unity 


in  it  for  good  in  the  future,  are  surely  in  the  right.  But  the 
healing  of  its  diseases  must  go  on.  Much  progress  already 
has  been  made  in  the  return  toward  more  perfect  health,  and 
ever\-  means  by  which  it  can  be  stimulated  and  accelerated 
should  be  speedily  employed.  Everv'  movement  and  agency 
that  can  be  made  helpful  to  such  progress  ought  to  be  en- 
couraged and  supported  by  all  those  who  profess  to  look  upon 
the  church  as  the  body  of  Christ.  Progress  in  the  cause  of 
unity  would,  undoubtedly,  prove  ver>-  helpful  to  this  body  in 
fitting  it  for  the  accomplishment  of  its  mission. 

3.  Greater  unity  would  enable  the  church  to  fulfill  more 
perfectly  its  mission  as  the  bride  of  Christ.  The  conception 
of  the  church  as  a  bride  is  apostolic  and  worthy  of  sympathetic 
and  appreciative  consideration.  It  is  a  conception,  too,  which 
suggests  that  the  relation  of  the  church  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ought  to  become  a  ver>'  charming  and  attractive 
one.  A  bride  is  the  subject  of  general  interest  and  good  will 
as  one  whose  life  is  under  the  dominion  and  power  of  one  of 
the  most  charming  and  greatest  of  human  emotions.  She  is 
recognized  as  one  whose  thoughts,  feelings,  and  activities  are 
ven"  largely  devoted  to  preparation  for  that  union  which  is 
to  bring  to  her  a  full  cup  of  happiness,  prosperity,  and  peace. 
Two  qualities  are  preeminently  essential  to  her  welfare. 
First,  she  needs  a  heart  of  vital  sympathy  with  her  aflRanced 
in  all  his  plans  of  life  concerning  their  mutual  welfare.  It 
is  hers  to  think  of  him  as  one  possessed  of  noble  aspirations 
and  worthy  aims  and  to  give  to  these  aspirations  and  aims  the 
full  consent  of  her  mental  and  moral  nature.  It  is  hers  to  be 
interested  ver\-  deeply  in  all  that  concerns  his  success  and 
prosperity  in  life  and  to  give  to  it  ever}"  possible  encouragement 
and  support.  Another  quality  she  greatly  needs  is  a  lovable 
disposition.  This  will  make  her  attractive  and  prove  her 
worthy  to  be  loved.    It  will  show  the  nature  of  the  emotions 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission  63 


that  reign  within  her,  demonstrate  the  nobility  of  her 
character,  and  prove  that  her  betrothed  has  made  no  mistake 
in  his  choice.  Her  loveliness  of  disposition  will  reveal  her 
worthiness  of  the  deep  affection  bestowed  upon  her  by  her  be- 
loved and  her  right  to  the  constant  faithfulness  of  his  attach- 
ment. 

The  Apostle  Paul  had  a  full  appreciation  of  this  relation 
when  he  wrote:  "  Christ  loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself 
up  for  it;  that  he  might  sanctify  it,  having  cleansed  it  by  the 
washing  of  water  by  the  word,  that  he  might  present  the  church 
to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle  or 
any  such  thing;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and  without  blemish  " 
(Eph.  5:25-27).  It  is  a  fair  interpretation  of  these  words 
to  understand  them  as  indicating  the  process  and  purpose  of 
the  preparation  through  which  the  church  is  passing  as  a  bride 
while  it  looks  forward  to  the  coming  of  its  bridegroom.  The 
same  conception  of  the  church  is  seen  in  the  Apostle  John's 
record  of  one  of  his  visions  when  he  writes:  "  I  saw  the  holy 
city,  new  Jerusalem,  coming  down  out  of  heaven  from  God, 
made  ready  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband  "  (Rev.  21 :  2), 
and  when  he  tells  us  that  an  angel  spake  to  him  and  said: 
"  Come  hither,  I  will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife  " 
(Rev.  21:9).  This  vision  was  given  for  the  comfort,  en- 
couragement, and  inspiration  of  the  church  in  the  midst  of 
trials.  John  had  previously  seen  a  vision  of  the  risen,  royal, 
and  glorified  Christ  in  the  midst  of  the  church,  and  also  visions 
of  the  struggle  of  the  church  in  its  historic  progress. 

Both  of  these  Apostles  suggest  the  value  and  importance  of 
preparation  for  the  future  union  to  be  consummated  between 
Christ  and  the  church.  John  sees  the  church  "  made  ready  as 
a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband."  He  has  previously  seen 
the  work  of  preparation  going  on.  Paul  sees  the  purpose 
and  the  plan  according  to  which  this  work  of  preparation 


64 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


must  proceed,  and  indicates  the  fulness  and  completeness  of 
Christ's  design  concerning  it.  That  design  is  "  to  present  the 
church  to  himself  a  glorious  Church,  not  having  spot  or 
wrinkle  or  any  such  thing;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and 
without  blemish."  This  work  of  preparation  is  still  going  on 
and  much  is  yet  to  be  accomplished  before  it  is  completed. 
There  are  still  many  spots  and  wrinkles  and  such  things  to 
be  removed  before  her  glory  is  very  fully  manifested,  and 
much  is  yet  to  be  accomplished  in  the  development  of  holiness 
and  blamelessness  before  her  character  is  made  perfect  and 
her  preparation  completed.  Her  preparation  for  His  coming 
to  receive  her  as  His  bride  can  be  greatly  helped  by  more 
earnest  and  devoted  efforts  to  remove  every  feature  of  her 
character  and  equipment  displeasing  to  her  Bridegroom,  and 
by  bringing  herself  into  more  perfect  sympathy  with  all  His 
plans  concerning  her.  Her  fitness  for  her  position  as  His 
bride  is  yet  to  be  made  more  perfect  and  more  evident  by  a 
fuller  manifestation  of  such  a  lovable  disposition  as  rejoices 
in  the  companionship  of  all  the  Bridegroom's  friends  and  is 
full  of  goodwill  to  all  His  servants,  the  willing  and  obedient 
subjects  of  His  Kingdom.  This  conception  of  the  church  is 
a  very  charming  one  and  suited  to  inspire  the  cultivation  of 
those  qualities,  and  the  attainment  of  those  conditions,  which 
will  give  to  her  the  most  perfect  adornment,  and  complete  her 
preparation  for  the  coming  of  her  Bridegroom. 

4.  Greater  unity  in  the  church  would  enable  it  to  accomplish 
more  perfectly  its  mission  as  a  Christian  brotherhood.  "  And 
all  ye  are  brethren  "  are  the  significant  words  of  Jesus  to  His 
disciples  when  He  was  discussing  on  an  important  occasion 
the  spirit  that  they  ought  to  have  and  to  show  toward  one 
another.  "  And  who  are  my  brethren?  "  He  asked  on  another 
occasion,  and  pointing  to  His  disciples,  replied,  "  Behold  my 
brethren."    He  repeatedly  urged  upon  His  disciples  the  at- 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission  65 


tainment  and  exhibition  of  such  qualities  as  pertain  to  a  state 
and  condition  of  brotherhood.  It  was  evidently  His  desire 
and  purpose  that  His  followers  should  constitute  a  true  and 
universal  fraternity.  The  apostles  recognized  this  fact. 
After  His  death  they  were  accustomed  to  speak  of  themselves 
as  "  the  brethren  "  and  to  apply  the  name  to  all  who  became 
His  followers  through  their  ministry.  They  addressed  each 
other  as  such,  wrote  letters  to  the  churches  in  which  they  ad- 
dressed the  members  of  these  churches  as  brethren,  and  in 
their  teaching  laid  great  emphasis  upon  those  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  which  foster  and  develop  the  true  spirit  of  brother- 
hood among  the  people  of  the  Church.  The  gist  of  their 
teaching  is  found  in  Peter's  terse  exhortation,  "  Love  the 
brotherhood." 

A  brother  is  one  whose  relationship  is  very  intimate  and 
tender.  He  is  the  object  of  special  interest,  affection,  and 
fellowship  because  of  this  relationship.  He  was  born  of  the 
same  Father,  has  many  of  the  same  qualities  of  mind  and 
heart,  and  is  an  equal  heir  with  us  to  the  same  inheritance. 
He  is  one  whose  main  purposes  in  life  are  kindred  to  our 
own  and  whose  greatest  hopes  and  best  aspirations  are  close 
akin  to  those  which  rule  our  lives.  He  is  therefore  one  with 
whom  our  ties  and  bonds  of  friendship  should  be  tender  and 
strong.  How  fully  this  was  realized  by  the  early  church  is 
shown  by  Stephen,  one  of  its  first  deacons,  when  he  tells  how 
Moses  chided  with  the  Hebrews  for  striving  with  each  other 
by  saying,  "Sirs,  ye  are  brethren:  why  do  ye  wrong  one  to 
another?"  The  early  church  was  very  fully  taught  that 
brethren  ought  not  to  strive  with  one  another,  but  live  in 
harmony  and  peace.  It  was  made  very  plain  to  it  that  the 
possession  on  the  part  of  its  members  of  those  mental  and 
moral  qualities,  which  constitute  and  cement  the  relation- 
ships of  men  to  one  another  as  brethren,  is  most  vital  and  im- 


66 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


portant.  To  be  a  true  follower  of  Christ,  with  the  teachers 
of  the  early  church,  was  to  be  a  brother  in  the  best  and  truest 
sense.  Those  who  were  accounted  "  brethren  "  were  also 
spoken  of  as  "  saints  "  because  of  their  possession  of  Godlike 
qualities.  These  qualities  made  them  not  only  acceptable  with 
God  but  useful  and  helpful  to  each  other  as  bound  together 
in  one  common  aim  to  glorify  God  and  uplift  humanity.  As 
saints  they  were  imitators  of  divine  perfections,  and  as  brethren 
they  sought  preeminently  to  provoke  one  another  to  love  and 
to  good  works. 

The  apostolic  recognition  of  this  relationship  is  very  signifi- 
cant. They  were  appointed  to  start  the  church  in  its  career 
and  therefore  to  impress  upon  it  such  characteristics  as  would 
distinguish  it  through  all  its  future  years.  Their  effort  to  im- 
press it  with  the  spirit  and  power  of  a  true  Christian  brother- 
hood was  very  marked.  They  endeavored  very  earnestly  to 
instill  within  the  hearts  of  its  members  such  affections  and 
emotions  as  make  brotherhood  a  reality  and  a  blessing.  Note 
the  earnestness  and  ideal  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  when  he  wrote: 
"  In  love  of  the  brethren  be  tenderly  affectioned  one  to 
another:  in  honor  preferring  one  another";  of  the  Apostle 
Peter,  when  he  wrote:  "  Be  ye  all  likeminded,  compassionate, 
loving  as  brethren,  tender  hearted,  humble-minded  " ;  and  of 
the  Apostle  John,  when  he  wrote:  "We  know  that  we 
have  passed  from  death  unto  life  because  we  love  the  brethren. 
He  that  loveth  not  abideth  in  death."  And  their  efforts  were 
successful.  This  characteristic  of  the  church  is  said  to  have 
been  very  conspicuous  in  the  early  centuries.  The  spirit  of 
brotherhood  was  so  true  and  strong  that  men  were  wont  to 
say:  "Behold  how  these  Christians  love  one  another."  And 
those  were  days  in  which  the  church  gained  rapidly  in  mem- 
bership, influence  and  power.  But  the  spirit  of  brotherhood 
in  course  of  time  began  to  wane  and  the  manifestation  of  it 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission 


67 


to  be  greatly  diminished.  One  part  of  the  church  became 
arrayed  against  another  part  and  it  became  in  a  ver>'  real- 
istic way  a  militant  church.  It  has  continued  so  through 
many  centuries. 

The  possibilities  of  the  church  as  a  brotherhood  are  very 
great,  however  meagrely  and  imperfectly  they  have  been 
realized  through  all  these  centuries.  In  these  later  years 
Christian  men  have  begun  to  realize  to  some  degree  the  nature 
and  scope  of  these  possibilities.  Many  brotherhoods  have 
arisen  in  many  different  denominations,  and  some  of  an  inter- 
denominational nature  have  been  formed.  But  these  possi- 
bilities cannot  be  fully  realized  until  the  purpose  and  desire 
of  the  church's  Founder,  and  the  teaching  of  His  apostles  in 
regard  to  this  characteristic,  shall  have  again  permeated  the 
mind  and  heart  of  all  God's  people.  While  this  conception 
of  the  church  as  a  brotherhood  is  growing,  it  is  still  very 
limited  and  very  narrow  in  the  minds  of  many.  With  not 
a  few  it  is  limited  to  their  own  denomination.  Many  members 
cannot  understand  why  a  minister  or  member  of  another 
denomination  should  be  called  a  brother.  Their  idea  of 
brotherhood  is  so  very  narrow  and  so  very  limited  in  its  range 
of  application  to  church  people.  Jesus'  conception  of  it  in- 
cluded everybody  in  the  church  and  everjrwhere.  "  All  ye  are 
brethren."  The  true  conception  of  brotherhood  in  the  minds 
of  many  in  the  church  very  much  needs  to  be  awakened.  Such 
an  awakening  would  greatly  enhance  the  meaning  and  value 
of  the  church  as  an  institution  composed  of  such  as  were 
designed  to  be  brethren  in  reality  and  in  manifestation,  and 
would  greatly  increase  its  power  for  good  in  the  world.  The 
idea  of  brotherhood  needs  also  to  be  intensified  in  the  minds 
of  many  where  it  is  very  vague  and  unproductive.  These 
scarcely  think  of  other  church  people  even  in  their  own  church 
as  brethren,  or  if  not  wholly  indifferent  to  them  as  such,  are 


68 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


wont  to  think  of  them  more  especially  as  competitors,  or  rivals 
for  social  standing,  honor,  or  advantage  in  the  church.  The 
idea  of  an  intimate  and  tender  relation  is  not  very  deeply 
impressed  upon  their  minds.  A  more  vigorous  conception  of 
their  real  relation  to  one  another  as  brethren  would  work 
wonders  in  their  individual  lives  and  bring  a  great  blessing 
to  the  church.  The  awakening  and  intensifying  of  this  con- 
ception of  the  church,  in  harmony  with  the  ideal  of  Christ 
and  His  apostles,  is  now  going  on  and  is  well  worthy  of  en- 
couragement and  stimulation  by  all  such  as  have  a  large  vision 
of  its  mission  and  its  possibilities  as  the  divinely  appointed  in- 
stitute of  brotherhood  among  men. 

5.  Greater  unity  would  enable  the  church  to  accomplish 
more  perfectly  its  mission  as  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the 
truth.  The  Apostle  Paul's  designation  of  it  as  such  is  in  har- 
mony with  many  statements  of  Christ  and  the  other  apostles 
in  regard  to  the  nature  and  importance  of  the  truth.  Near 
the  beginning  of  his  gospel  the  Apostle  John  writes:  "And 
the  Word  became  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us  (and  we  beheld 
His  glory,  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  from  the  Father) 
full  of  grace  and  truth  "  (John  i :  14).  A  little  further  on  he 
says,  "  Grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ."  He  with  all 
the  rest  of  the  Apostles  and  the  whole  body  of  the  early  church 
recognized  truth  as  an  essential  and  important  attribute  in 
the  character  of  Christ.  In  answer  to  Pilate  Jesus  said: 
"  Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a  King.  To  this  end  have  I  been 
born,  and  to  this  end  am  I  come  into  the  world,  that  I  should 
bear  witness  unto  the  truth.  Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth 
heareth  my  voice"  (John  18:37).  When  teaching  His 
disciples  He  assured  them  on  one  occasion  that  the  truth  which 
He  was  speaking  to  them  would  make  them  free,  and  at  an- 
other time  asserted  of  Himself,  "  I  am  the  truth."  He  also 
asserted  that  the  word  of  God  is  truth,  when  He  prayed  the 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission 


69 


Father  to  sanctify  His  disciples  "  in  the  truth."  The  apostle 
Paul  also  upholds  the  majesty  of  the  truth  when  he  writes, 
"  We  can  do  nothing  against  the  truth,  but  for  the  truth  " 
(II  Cor.  13:8).  Jesus  Christ  is  the  truth;  His  Kingdom  is 
a  Kingdom  of  truth;  His  word  is  truth;  His  mission  was  one 
of  truth ;  and  His  church  whose  mission  it  is  to  make  known 
His  claims  and  the  nature  and  blessings  of  His  Kingdom 
may  well  be  called  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth. 

This  representation  of  the  church's  mission  is  very  suggestive 
in  regard  to  an  exceedingly  important  phase  of  that  mission. 
It  is  the  office  of  a  pillar  to  hold  up  the  object  laid  upon  it, 
and  it  is  the  office  of  the  ground  of  any  object  to  provide  the 
place  upon  which  it  may  securely  rest.  When  the  church  is 
called  the  pillar  of  the  truth  it  is  indicated  that  its  office  is 
to  hold  up  the  truth  so  that  it  may  become  manifest  to 
the  minds  and  hearts  of  men.  When  it  is  called  the  ground 
of  the  truth  it  is  indicated  that  its  office  is  to  provide  a  sub- 
stantial place,  or  location,  on  which  the  truth  may  rest,  where 
it  abides,  and  is  to  be  seen  and  recognized.  It  is  therefore 
the  mission  of  the  church  to  embody  in  itself  the  most  essential 
and  important  truth  in  existence  in  relation  to  human  welfare, 
and  to  make  this  truth  manifest  before  the  world.  This  truth 
has  been  committed  to  its  care.  The  revelation  of  truth  given 
to  men  in  Old  Testament  times  was  committed  to  the  care 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Israel,  the  divinely  appointed  representa- 
tive at  that  time  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  revelation  of 
truth  given  to  men  in  New  Testament  times  was  committed 
to  the  church  which  had  recently  been  organized  as  a  new 
representative  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  truth  of  Old 
Testament  revelation  also  came  into  its  hands  so  that  it  has 
the  entire  truth  of  divine  revelation  in  its  care.  It  is  therefore 
its  mission  as  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth  to  hold  up 
the  truth  revealed  so  that  men  may  see  and  know  the  truth 


70 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


as  it  is,  and  to  furnish  in  itself  the  place  where  the  truth  has  a 
secure  resting  place  and  where  it  is  surely  to  be  found. 

The  Great  Architect  of  His  church  planned  that  it  should 
be  the  bearer  before  the  world  of  such  special  truth  as  would 
mould  and  modify  all  other  truth  with  its  agencies  and  in- 
stitutions so  as  to  make  them  the  means  of  the  greatest  bless- 
ing to  mankind.  He  designed  it  to  be  the  embodiment  and 
upholder  of  such  truth  as  will  make  business,  agriculture, 
manufacturing,  education,  government,  and  social  intercourse, 
as  well  as  religion,  to  be  highly  conducive  to  the  welfare  of 
men  and  instrumental  in  building  up  the  Kingdom  of  God 
on  the  earth.  He  planned  that  it  should  be  the  constant 
presentation  of  all  essential  truth  and  nothing  but  the  truth 
and  that  it  should  rightly  divide  the  word  of  truth  and  not 
pervert  any  part  of  it  by  erratic  interpretation,  or  distort  its 
meaning  and  application  by  undue  emphasis.  Who  will  say 
that  the  church  has  been  holding  up  the  whole  truth  laid  upon 
it  and  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth?  Certainly  no  one 
meagrely  familiar  with  its  history  and  having  a  fair  knowl- 
edge of  revealed  truth  will  do  so.  In  every  age  its  testimony 
to  the  truth  has  been  limited  and  much  distorted.  Certain 
ages  have  been  marked  by  special  emphasis  upon  some  phase 
of  truth  in  some  great  religious  movement.  In  this  way 
progress  has  been  made.  Neglected  truths  have  been  held  up 
before  the  minds  of  many  and  they  have  gained  a  better  view 
of  the  whole  of  truth  though  only  a  fragment  of  it  was  being 
emphasized. 

This  progress,  however,  has  been  more  or  less  retarded 
by  sectarian  standards.  These  standards  emphasize  as  most 
important  truths  certain  special  interpretations  of  the  word 
of  truth  and  thus  each  denomination  differentiates  itself  from 
all  others.  False  philosophy  and  selfish  ambition  have,  no 
doubt,  often  been  a  close  adjunct  with  Christian  faith  and  de- 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission 


71 


votion  to  the  truth  in  the  formation  of  these  standards.  Be- 
cause of  these  standards  each  denomination  is  holding  up  its 
own  particular  view,  and  by  its  existence  as  a  separate  organi- 
zation is  stressing  that  view.  As  the  result  of  so  many  differ- 
ent and  diverse  claims  to  be  holding  up  the  truth,  the  truth 
most  needed  by  all  men  has  been  very  much  obscured,  and  not 
a  few,  who  are  anxious  to  behold  the  truth  that  saves  men, 
have  become  confused  by  the  distortions  that  they  see  and  thus 
made  sceptical  in  regard  to  the  church  as  an  exponent  of 
the  truth.  These  things  ought  not  so  to  be.  Let  the  truth  to 
which  all  can  agree  be  magnified  and  given  the  high  place  of 
honor  in  the  teaching  of  all  denominations.  This  is  essential 
to  the  church's  fulfillment  in  any  good  degree  of  its  office 
as  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth. 

Moreover,  there  are  great  and  vital  truths  which  sectarian 
standards  have  tended  to  suppress  and  which  ought  to  have 
a  high  position  in  the  testimony  of  the  church,  but  have  not 
held  such  a  position.  These  are  the  truths  specially  relating 
to  the  heart  and  will  as  most  important  factors  in  Christian 
living.  The  importance  of  the  New  Commandment,  of  the 
spirit  of  forgiveness,  and  of  love  toward  enemies,  are  truths 
which  ought  to  be  highly  exalted  in  the  church's  testimony, 
but  whose  exaltation  is  limited  and  hindered  by  devotion  to 
denominational  standards  in  their  connection  with  that 
philosophy  of  selfishness  ever  so  prone  to  creep  into  the  human 
heart  and  at  all  times  so  prevalent  in  the  world.  The  cause 
of  truth  can  be  advanced  by  giving  to  love,  forgiveness,  and 
the  surrendered  will,  a  higher  prominence  in  the  testimony  of 
the  church  than  they  have  received  in  the  past.  The  elimina- 
tion of  divisive  standards,  which  now  in  any  manner  or  to 
any  degree  distort  the  truth,  would  help  the  church  in  the 
accomplishment  of  its  mission.  Progress  in  the  cause  of  unity 
is  essential  to  the  cause  of  truth. 


72 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


6.  Greater  unity  would  enable  the  church  to  accomplish 
more  perfectly  its  mission  as  a  peace  society.  When  Jesus 
came  to  earth  the  angels  sang  "  Peace  on  earth,  good-will 
among  men."  They  evidently  understood  His  mission  to  be 
one  of  peace.  Hundreds  of  years  before  His  coming  the 
greatest  of  the  Hebrew  prophets  described  Him  as  "  the  Prince 
of  Peace"  (Isa.  9:6),  and  declared  of  Him  that  "Of  the 
increase  of  His  government  and  peace  there  shall  be  no  end  " 
(Isa.  9:7).  The  God  who  sent  Him  to  establish  this  govern- 
ment is  the  God  of  peace  and  has  ordained  that  His  Kingdom 
shall  have  this  characteristic;  for  it  is  declared  of  it  that  it 
"  is  not  eating  and  drinking  but  righteousness  and  peace  and 
joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit"  (Rom.  14:17).  In  His  presenta- 
tion of  the  characteristics  and  great  principles  of  this  King- 
dom Jesus  made  peacemaking  to  be  one  of  the  distinguishing 
qualities  of  its  citizens,  when  He  said,  "  Blessed  are  the  peace- 
makers; for  they  shall  be  called  sons  of  God"  (Matt.  5:9). 
As  a  corporate  institution  established  for  the  purpose  of  glorify- 
ing Him  who  came  to  earth  on  a  mission  of  peace  what  else 
ought  it  to  be  than  an  active  and  effective  peace  organization? 
The  Apostle  Paul  assures  us  that  it  was  so  intended  when 
he  writes  "  And  let  the  peace  of  God  rule  in  your  hearts  to 
the  which  ye  are  called  in  one  body"  (Col.  3:  15).  On  a 
special  occasion  just  before  the  close  of  His  ministry  Jesus 
made  a  particular  bestowment  of  His  gift  of  peace  upon  His 
assembled  disciples,  and  while  so  doing  assured  them  that 
this  was  no  ordinary  gift  and  thus  suggested  that  it  was  one 
to  be  cherished,  appreciated,  and  used,  and  also  one  to  be  ap- 
plied to  all  their  relations  to  each  other  and  to  the  world. 

The  early  church  was  fully  taught  its  mission  as  such  a 
society.  The  beatitude  of  Jesus  in  respect  to  peacemakers 
was  proclaimed  as  an  essential  part  of  His  gospel.  The 
Apostles  frequently  referred  to  peace  as  a  state  which  every 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission 


73 


member  of  the  church  should  experience  and  enjoy  and  which 
the  whole  body  of  its  members  should  possess  and  promote. 
Its  members  individually  and  collectively  were  exhorted  to 
"  follow  peace  with  all  men,"  and  were  encouraged  to  do  so 
by  the  assurance  that,  "  The  fruits  of  righteousness  are  sown 
in  peace  of  them  that  make  peace"  (Jas.  3:  18). 

It  is  beyond  question  that  it  was  the  design  and  the  desire 
of  Jesus  that  His  church  should  be  a  special  agency  in  the 
promotion  of  this  great  cause.  The  vision  of  His  character 
and  mission  as  seen  by  angels,  prophets,  and  apostles  is  evi- 
dence of  this.  His  own  beatitude  and  His  special  emphasis 
in  teaching  the  necessity  of  love,  that  moral  quality  which  is 
the  greatest  possible  guarantee  of  peace,  strengthen  this  evi- 
dence. His  special  gift  of  peace  to  His  church  rounds  out 
the  evidence  most  perfectly.  Its  mission  was  made  very 
similar  to  His  own,  the  carr\'ing  on  of  the  work  begun  by 
Him,  the  proclamation  and  the  establishment  of  the  conditions 
by  which  peace  is  sure  to  come.  He  gave  to  it  a  wonderful 
work  in  the  promotion  of  those  ideals  by  which  differences 
among  men  are  reconciled,  their  good  fellowship  established, 
and  their  happiness  secured.  Its  great  mission  is  to  discover, 
know,  proclaim  and  urge  upon  men  the  necessary  conditions 
upon  which  abiding  peace  can  be  established  and  maintained. 
Its  work  relates  to  the  peace  of  each  individual  person,  the 
family,  the  church,  society,  the  state,  the  whole  world. 

Has  the  church  fulfilled  its  mission  as  a  peace  society?  Only 
in  a  meagre  way  and  to  a  very  limited  degree.  It  has  done 
much  for  individual  Christians,  considerable  for  the  family 
and  something  for  society  and  the  nation,  and  yet  only  a 
small  part  of  what  it  ought  to  have  done.  In  regard  to  in- 
ternational relations  it  seems  to  have  been  an  utter  failure 
in  view  of  the  terrible  world  war  now  being  waged.  But 
how  can  the  church  be  an  effective  peacemaker  in  any  of  the 


74 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


social  relations  of  mankind  while  it  remains  in  its  divided 
state?  In  any  effort  it  might  make,  it  may  well  be  said  to  it, 
"  Physician,  heal  thyself."  It  is  shorn  of  much  of  its  prestige 
and  power  by  its  own  want  of  harmony  as  shown  by  its  many 
divisions  with  their  envies,  jealousies,  keen  rivalries,  and  bitter 
competitions.  Its  failure  within  itself  is  good  cause  for  failure 
elsewhere.  Its  mastery  of  peace  problems  and  its  appreciation 
of  their  significance  have  been  ver>'  limited  and  defective,  and 
therefore  it  has  too  often  failed  to  have  a  message  of  peace 
for  those  at  variance  and  becoming  embittered  in  the  turmoils 
of  contention  and  strife.  What  failures  it  has  met  in  the 
conflict  ever  waging  between  morality  and  vice!  How  many 
and  how  great  have  been  its  shortcomings  in  the  never  ceasing 
struggle  between  capital  and  labor!  How  weak  its  harmoniz- 
ing power  has  often  been  shown  to  be  in  the  political  arena! 
How  very  impotent  has  lately  seemed  to  be  its  influence  in 
international  affairs!  As  the  messenger  of  peace  the  church 
has  been  sadly  ineffective  and  distrusted  in  those  relationships 
among  men  in  which  the  conflicts  of  life  are  most  liable  to 
come  and  be  most  fiercely  waged.  And  this,  because  it  has 
not  realized  the  great  significance  and  scope  of  its  mission 
as  the  promoter  of  peace  in  all  the  relationships  of  life,  nor 
set  itself  to  find  the  right  solution  of  all  the  problems  in- 
volved in  each  conflict  and  thus  to  gain  for  itself  a  message 
of  peace  to  those  engaged  in  the  world's  great  struggles. 
While  it  has  given  much  attention  to  the  salvation  of  in- 
dividual men,  it  has  given  too  little  thought  to  the  problems 
of  social,  national,  and  international  welfare.  But  the  bring- 
ing of  peace  to  society  as  truly  belongs  to  its  mission  as  the 
bringing  of  pyeace  to  human  hearts.  Why  did  not  the  church 
begin  to  stress  in  its  teaching  the  importance  of  a  League  of 
Nations  in  the  establishment  and  preservation  of  a  world-wide 
peace  until  the  exigencies  of  the  present  war  suggested  it? 


Unity  and  the  Church's  Mission 


75 


Such  a  league  has  been  advocated  and  discussed  for  several 
years  by  the  organizations  known  as  peace  societies.  But  the 
church  for  many  years  before  the  war  was  almost  wholly  silent 
in  regard  to  the  essential  conditions  under  which  peace  is  made 
secure.  Had  the  church  in  all  lands  advocated  and  urged 
the  establishment  of  those  righteous  relations  and  conditions 
on  the  part  of  nations  which  make  for  peace,  with  one  tenth 
of  the  time  and  thought,  energy  and  money,  as  it  now  gives 
to  the  winning  of  the  war  in  a  fight  for  peace,  would  this 
tragedy  have  come?  Is  not  the  church  now  suffering  the 
penalty  of  past  failure?  And  what  about  other  problems  in- 
volving the  harmony  of  the  world,  such  as  the  relation  of  the 
white  and  j^ellow  race?  Will  the  church  rise  to  its  respon- 
sibility as  a  messenger  of  peace  and  secure  the  establishment 
of  those  righteous  conditions  and  relations  which  will  prevent 
another  great  world  tragedy? 

In  view  of  all  this  the  mission  of  the  church  as  a  special 
agent  for  the  promotion  of  peace,  by  its  insistence  upon  those 
righteous  conditions  which  make  for  peace,  lays  upon  it  a 
tremendous  task  and  a  very  grave  responsibility.  In  the  ac- 
complishment of  this  task  it  needs  the  best  possible  centrali- 
zation of  its  powers  and  the  most  complete  control  of  all  its 
available  resources.  Its  work  is  greatly  hampered  and  hin- 
dered by  the  present  division  of  its  forces  and  the  waste  of  its 
resources.  Is  there  not  possible  and  near  at  hand  such  a 
uniting  of  its  divided  parts  as  will  greatly  strengthen  it  for 
its  tremendous  tasks  and  fit  it  for  the  proper  meeting  of  its 
grave  responsibilities? 

Apropos  the  foregoing  and  some  time  after  it  was  written 
Bishop  Charles  Gore,  of  Oxford,  has  issued  a  pamphlet  (The 
League  of  the  Nations  the  Opportunity  of  the  Church)  in 
which  he  says  in  the  opening  paragraph : 

"  Surely  the  Christian  Church,  in  all  its  parts  and  members, 


76 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


should  welcome  the  project  of  the  League  of  Nations  and 
organize  itself  into  vigorous  unanimity  to  press  it  to  the  front 
in  the  attention  of  all  civilized  peoples;  both  as  a  practical 
proposal  made  to  us  by  our  most  experienced  and  most  trusted 
statesmen  and  as  a  proposal  profoundly  congenial  to  the 
Christian  Spirit." 

Toward  the  end  of  this  pamphlet  he  inquires: 
"  Why  should  not  all  the  portions  of  Christendom  in  every 
nation  combine  into  a  single  body  to  welcome  and  to  propagate 
the  principle  of  the  League?  For,  indeed,  it  is  its  own 
voice  that  the  church  hears  echoed  back  by  the  statesmen  who 
propose  it.  .  .  .  There  can  be  few  practical  measures  which 
would  be  so  strong  a  witness  to  Christian  principles  as  the 
formation  of  a  League  of  Nations  to  promote  and  maintain 
peace,  and  nothing  would  make  the  peoples  of  the  world 
understand  what  Christianity  stands  for  better  than  the 
spectacle  of  a  divided  Christendom  reunited  at  least  to  promote 
this  purpose." 


THE  SEARCH  FOR  ESSENTIALS 


THE  question  of  essentials  in  Christian  belief  and  conduct 
is  fundamental  in  this  movement.  That  there  are  some 
things  that  are  essential  in  both  Christian  theory  and  practice, 
while  others  are  non-essential,  is  recognized  by  all.  Just 
what  the  things  are  that  are  essential  is  the  point  on  which 
men  dif¥er.  On  the  surface  there  seems  to  be  much  difEer- 
ence  now  upon  this  point.  The  progress  of  this  movement 
depends  upon  the  reaching  of  a  substantial  agreement  by 
Christian  people  in  large  numbers  as  to  what  beliefs  and 
practices  among  men  are  essential  to  the  Christian  life  and 
necessary  to  determine  their  fitness  to  be  members  of  the 
church.  Whatever  real  difFerences  there  are,  will  be  revealed 
by  an  honest  ef?ort  to  find  a  basis  of  doctrine,  polity,  and 
practice,  to  which  all  will  agree.  This  search  will  naturally 
and  fittingly  proceed  in  the  effort  to  get  the  viewpoint  of 
every  denomination,  and  will  endeavor  to  get  a  clear  under- 
standing of  every  particular  standard  which  the  denominations 
are  organized  to  support  and  propagate.  A  late  bulletin  of 
The  Census  Bureau  at  Washington  contains  this  statement: 
"The  total  number  of  church  organizations  (congregations) 
in  igi6  was  228,007  reported  by  201  denominations."  The 
same  bulletin  shows  that  there  are  17  species  of  Methodists, 
17  varieties  of  Baptists,  21  distinct  bodies  of  Lutherans,  and 
10  kinds  of  Presbyterians.  The  search  for  essentials  would 
seem  to  require  the  earnest  and  faithful  consideration  of  the 
standards  of  all  these  denominations.  Whatever  of  essential 
truth  these  standards  may  contain  ought  to  be  recognized 
and  duly  accredited  in  the  summing  up  of  the  things  that  are 
really  essential. 

77 


78 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


In  the  progress  of  this  search  doubtless  it  will  become 
evident  to  the  great  body  of  believers,  as  already  seen  by 
many,  that  none  of  the  distinctive  and  divisive  doctrines  or 
practices  of  any  of  the  churches  are  essential  either  to  the 
Christian  life,  or  to  the  church's  welfare.  These  beliefs  and 
special  forms  of  worship  and  service  may  be  helpful  and 
strengthening  to  the  Christian  people  who  accept  and  observe 
them,  and  no  doubt  are  so,  but  these  beliefs  and  practices 
are  not  essential  when  any  other  belief  and  practice  can  take 
their  place  and  produce  the  same  results  in  other  lives.  Es- 
sential beliefs  and  practices  are  only  those  that  cannot  be  dis- 
pensed with  or  ruin  is  sure  to  follow.  Essential  doctrines, 
beliefs  and  standards  of  conduct  are  found  in  all  the  churches, 
but  these  are  not  their  distinctive  and  divisive  features.  These 
are  the  things  that  are  the  common  possession  of  them  all. 
Indeed,  very  few  Christians  of  the  present  day  in  any  of  the 
denominations  believe  that  their  distinctive  principles  are  es- 
sential to  salvation  and  necessary  to  make  the  church  a  soul- 
saving  institution  and  a  fitting  instrument  in  building  up 
the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  world.  They  would  not  dare 
to  say  that  the  members  of  other  churches,  who  do  not  ac- 
cept their  distinctive  beliefs,  are  not  saved,  and  that  these  other 
churches  do  not  at  all  represent  the  Kingdom  of  God  on 
the  earth.  They  recognize  the  Christianity  of  other  churches, 
which  they  could  not  do  if  their  own  particular  dogmas  were 
essential  in  determining  who  are  Christians.  Christian  men 
and  women  in  all  the  churches  are  perceiving  more  and  more 
distinctly  that  the  great  truths  now  held  in  common  by  all 
the  churches  are  more  essential  by  far  than  the  things  in 
which  they  differ.  They  are  realizing  as  never  before  that 
men  are  being  saved  and  are  doing  effective  Christian  work 
in  all  the  churches.  With  increasing  clearness  they  are  see- 
ing that  when  a  man  believes  in  God  as  his  Father  and  in 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


79 


Jesus  Christ  as  his  Savior  in  such  a  way  as  to  purify  his 
heart  and  to  enable  him  to  overcome  the  world,  it  makes  no 
difference  which  of  the  distinctives  he  accepts  or  rejects. 
These  persuasions  of  Christian  people  everywhere  are  strongly 
indicative  that  these  distinctives  are  not  to  be  regarded  as 
among  the  essentials  of  Christian  faith  and  practice. 

The  Episcopalian  brethren  who  established  the  Founda- 
tion of  Faith  and  Order  proceeded  in  a  practical  way  in  their 
investigation  along  this  line  of  search  for  essentials  when 
they  successively  invited  groups  of  members  of  several  other 
denominations,  including  all  the  larger  ones,  to  conferences 
and  asked  them  to  consider  with  them  the  following  ques- 
tions: 

"  Will  you  please  tell  us,  in  the  first  instance,  what  are  the 
distinctive  principles  which  caused  your  forefathers  to  organize 
in  separation  from  the  great  body  of  the  Christian  church 
that  they  might  emphasize  those  principles?" 

"Do  you  maintain  those  principles  to-day?  and  if  so,  do 
you  think  that  the  conditions  existing  in  the  Christian  Church 
at  large  are  so  similar  to  those  that  obtained  when  your  fore- 
fathers separated  from  the  great  body  that  it  is  necessary 
to  remain  in  separation  in  order  to  emphasize  these  principles?  " 

"  Will  you  tell  us,  if  you  say  no,  what  principles  you  are 
emphasizing  to-day,  for  the  emphasizing  of  which  you  con- 
sider it  necessary  to  remain  still  in  a  state  of  separation,  and 
whether  you  think  the  conditions  are  such  that  it  is  necessary 
so  to  remain,  and  why  do  you  think  so,  and  why  you  have 
changed  ?  " 

"  Will  you  tell  us  what  are  the  lessons  which  you  have 
learned  which  you  think  of  importance  to  contribute  toward 
the  solution  of  the  problem  of  Christian  union  ?  " 

The  earnest  and  deliberate  consideration  of  such  questions 
in  conference  could  not  fail  to  throw  light  upon  the  real  con- 


8o 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


dition  that  exists  in  the  churches  in  regard  to  essential  prin- 
ciples and  facts.  Such  questions  would  be  useless  and  such 
conferences  of  no  value,  if  the  attitude  of  Christians  in  the 
different  churches  toward  their  distinctive  principles  remained 
unchanged.  It  is  a  matter  of  common  observation  that 
denominations  are  ever  modifying  and  changing  the  interpreta- 
tion of  their  standards,  although  the  form  of  statement  of 
these  standards  may  remain  the  same.  Bodies  of  men,  as  well 
as  individuals,  do  not  for  any  great  length  of  time  remain 
exactly  of  the  same  opinion,  or  belief.  It  is  the  nature  of 
man  singly,  or  in  groups,  to  modify  and  change  his  way  of 
thinking.  This  is  the  result  of  changing  conditions,  increasing 
intelligence,  and  new  emotions.  Recognition  of  the  fact  and 
significance  of  such  change  is  shown  in  the  common  saying  that, 
"  Wise  men  change  their  minds,  but  fools  never."  According 
as  the  people  of  the  churches  are  wise,  changes  of  belief  and 
practice  are  sure  to  appear. 

While  changes  on  many  points  of  belief  are  continually 
transpiring,  some  articles  of  faith  are  more  permanent  than 
others.  Those  most  essential  to  the  Christian  life  and  to  the 
building  up  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  world  are  among 
those  most  abiding.  These  are  the  facts,  the  truths,  the  beliefs 
that  Christian  men  and  women  everywhere  are  wont  to 
recognize  as  fundamental  to  the  Christian  life.  They  are 
such  as  are  accepted  by  the  Christian  people  of  all  the  churches 
as  the  plain  and  unequivocal  teaching  of  divine  revelation. 
These  are  the  things  that  abide,  because  they  are  the  things 
which  must  exist  to  make  men  right  with  God  and  one  an- 
other. They  are  the  things  without  which,  it  is  universally 
perceived  by  those  who  are  themselves  Christians,  no  man  can 
be  a  Christian  and  have  any  right  to  be  recognized  as  such 
in  the  church  of  Christ.  The  finding  and  recognition  of  these 
essentials  is  a  great  desideratum  in  the  present  movement 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


8i 


toward  which  the  people  of  all  the  churches  may  wisely  and 
well  direct  much  special  effort.  Until  they  are  found  and 
recognized  the  movement  is  sure  to  be  delayed.  In  a  great 
and  comprehensive  organization  which  would  unite  all 
Christendom  only  things  that  are  vital  and  generally  accept- 
able could  find  a  place.  Its  foundation  must  be  broad  enough 
on  which  to  build  a  universal  church. 

In  the  progress  of  this  search  for  essentials  it  is  becoming 
evident  to  many  earnest  thinkers  that  these  essentials  are 
few  and  simple.  Unquestionably  it  has  been  made  clear  to 
many  Christian  people  that  they  are  such  as  are  within  the 
mental  capacity  and  range  of  the  lowly  and  unlearned  to 
apprehend  and  appreciate.  It  is  becoming  more  and  more 
evident  that  the  essentials  of  Christian  faith  and  duty  are 
not  such  as  require  subtility  of  argument  to  explain  and  de- 
fend, or  demand  highly  developed  mental  faculties  to  com- 
prehend and  understand.  As  already  indicated  it  has  already 
caused  the  masses  of  the  members  of  the  church  to  realize 
that  while  denominational  dogmas  may  be  necessary  as  a  justi- 
fication for  separate  denominational  existence  they  are  not  es- 
sential to  individual  salvation,  nor  to  the  church's  office  in 
representing  the  Kingdom  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The 
kind  of  change  that  has  taken  place,  and  is  taking  place  in 
the  minds  of  a  ^reat  multitude  of  devoted  members  of  the 
churches  is  well  illustrated  by  the  experience  of  Dr.  J,  H. 
Sheakspeare,  of  Norwich,  England,  who  tells  of  the  transfor- 
mation that  came  to  him  in  the  following  way: 

"  More  than  twenty-five  years  ago  I  began  my  ministry  in 
this  fair  city.  I  was  but  a  child  in  many  things.  I  thought 
that  our  sectarian  differences  were  a  part  of  religion.  But 
now  I  know  that  the  things  that  matter  are  a  clean  heart, 
a  pure  spirit,  and  a  will  surrendered  to  God.  I  see  now  that 
the  true  church  is  the  church  of  all  the  saints  saved  by  the 


82 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


everlasting  mercy,  redeemed  by  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus 
and  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  see  now  that  men  are 
sad  at  heart  amid  their  pleasures,  that  dreams  are  more  potent 
than  appetites,  that  they  are  lonely  as  life  advances  and  that 
as  the  sky  darkens  they  want  to  be  sure  of  a  refuge  from  the 
gathering  storm." 

The  men  who  organize  religious  movements  outside  the 
church  see  the  non-essential  nature  of  distinctives  and  their 
hindrance  to  a  comprehensive  work.  They  become  convinced 
that  some  important  religious  effort  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity, state,  nation,  or  world,  must  not  be  hampered  and 
hindered  by  denominational  promotion  and  control.  This  is 
why  these  Christian  organizations  now  exist  outside  the 
churches.  There  would  be  no  need  of  them  if  all  the  churches 
were  united  in  one  body.  It  is  because  the  church  was  divided 
and  rivalry  and  jealousy  existed  between  its  branches  that 
these  outside  organizations  ever  became  necessary'.  They 
succeed  in  uniting  many  men  and  women  of  many  different 
churches  in  Christian  fellowship  and  work.  Why  cannot  the 
church  do  this?  It  could  if  the  denominations  would  come 
together  on  a  basis  on  which  a  large  proportion  of  all  the 
churches  could  agree,  and  if  minorities  would  have  respect 
for  the  judgment  of  the  greater  numbers. 

This  search  for  essentials  has  already  revealed,  and  doubt- 
less will  yet  reveal  more  and  more,  that  they  are  to  be  found 
in  the  middle  ground  between  the  regions  of  extremes.  Every 
passing  day  makes  it  more  evident  that  the  sectarian  principles 
which  have  made  and  perpetuated  divisions  among  Christians 
belong  to  these  regions.  These  dogmas  emphasize  some  single 
truth  pushed  far  beyond  its  proper  relation  to  other  truths 
equally  important.  They  give  expression  to  the  truth  as  seen 
from  some  particular  angle  of  knowledge,  desire  or  purpose, 
but  not  as  seen  from  other  angles.    It  need  not  be  discussed 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


83 


whether  truth  is  a  reality,  or  a  relation.  It  is  certain  that  it 
is  always  a  related  thing  and  that  what  is  true  from  one  view- 
point is  not  wholly  true  from  every  other.  At  their  best, 
denominational  dogmas  represent  the  truth  from  single  view- 
points. They  do  not  represent  a  complete  and  comprehensive 
view  of  the  whole  truth.  They  are  at  best  but  half-truths. 
A  larger  vision  reveals  them  as  such.  It  causes  men  to  sec 
that  most  essential  truths  are  not  those  of  the  narrow  angle, 
but  of  the  broader  range  of  view.  This  broader  range  is  not 
at  the  extremes  of  vision  but  at  its  central  point. 

The  middle  ground  is  not  merely  the  place  of  truest  vision, 
it  is  the  place  of  life,  growth,  and  happiness.  This  becomes 
very  evident  when  we  think  of  it  in  other  than  religious  lines. 
It  is  in  the  middle  ground  between  heat  and  cold  that  our 
earthly  existence  is  at  all  possible.  The  life,  health,  and 
strength  of  our  bodies,  and  their  comfort  and  efficiency  depend 
upon  our  remaining  near  the  border  line  between  extremes. 
Excessive  heat  or  cold  soon  becomes  ruinous.  The  temperate 
zone  is  the  place  of  human  progress  and  most  perfect  develop- 
ment and  not  the  torrid,  nor  the  frigid.  Between  extremes  is 
the  place  where  health,  vigor,  and  efficiency  are  at  their  best. 
The  superabundance  of  either  heat,  or  cold,  is  antagonistic 
to  the  fulness  and  efficiency  of  life.  When  heat  becomes  ex- 
cessive, our  health  and  vigor  demand  the  moderation  of  its 
power  by  the  rigor  of  the  cold.  When  cold  becomes  rigorous, 
our  vitality  and  strength  require  the  moderation  of  its  power  by 
the  effects  of  heat.  Each  Ls  good,  a  great  blessing,  when  rightly 
tempered  by  the  other.  The  same  is  true  of  light  and  dark- 
ness, sound  and  silence,  rain  and  sunshine,  and  other  opposing 
forces  in  the  realm  of  nature.  In  relation  to  all  of  these  op- 
posing elements  the  place  of  life,  vigor,  and  efficiency,  is  in 
the  middle  zone. 

These  facts  about  material  welfare  are  very  suggestive,  in 


84 


The  Movement  Touard  Unity 


regard  to  man's  religious  welfare.  They  indicate  how  much 
his  social  and  religious  life,  vigor,  and  power  depend  upon  con- 
ditions that  lie  far  within  the  extremes  of  many  of  men's  beliefs 
and  practices.  Social  and  religious  welfare  and  prosperity 
are  in  the  temperate  zone  of  moderate  views.  Extremes  are 
dangerous  and  hurtful  to  the  spiritual  life  as  well  as  else- 
where. Such  extremes  are  found  in  the  opposing  theories  of 
individualism  and  socialism.  Each  of  these  two  theories  con- 
tains much  truth  in  relation  to  religious  views  but  not  the 
whole  truth.  This  can  be  seen  only  when  the  one  is  rightly 
tempered  by  the  other.  It  is  in  the  right  combination  of  the 
two  that  the  essential  conditions  of  man's  social  and  religious 
well-being  in  church  and  state  are  found.  It  is  in  the  con- 
ditions produced  by  the  blending  of  the  two  that  life,  peace, 
and  prosperity,  are  enjoyed  in  any  of  the  associations  which 
bring  men  together  in  the  work  and  fellowship  of  life.  Like 
the  oxygen  and  nitrogen  of  the  atmosphere  in  which  men  live, 
and  move,  and  carry'  on  the  work  of  life,  these  must  be  mixed 
in  right  proportion  if  the  health  and  vigor  of  social  organiza- 
tions are  to  be  secured.  An  excess  of  individualism  will  make 
men  selfish,  egotistic,  conceited,  proud,  haughty,  stubborn  and 
imperious,  while  its  more  extreme  results  are  lawlessness, 
anarchy  and  chaos.  An  excess  of  socialism  produces  results 
that  are  very  similar  and  equally  harmful  to  the  welfare  of 
church  or  state.  The  effect  of  any  great  predominance  of 
either  of  these  opposing  theories  upon  the  life  and  vigor  of 
any  social  organization  is  deleterious  and  destructive. 

For  several  generations  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
church  in  America  has  been  marked  by  an  excess  of  individual- 
ism. This  excess  has  shown  itself  in  the  multiplication  of 
sectarian  standards  which  have  been  made  and  propagated  for 
the  pleasure  and  seeming  profit  of  individuals  and  limited 
groups  of  individuals.    During  this  period  socialistic  theory 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


85 


has  been  very  much  subordinated  to  individualistic  theory,  and 
the  welfare  of  the  individual  has  far  transcended  the  welfare 
of  society.  The  special  need  of  the  present  day  and  hour  seems 
to  be  the  application  of  a  better  and  wider  social  theory  to 
the  affairs  of  the  church  to  bring  it  into  proper  balance  with 
a  true  and  proper  individualistic  theory.  This  does  not  mean 
that  the  church  should  be  turned  over  to  the  hurtful  dominance 
of  socialistic  theory,  which  would  be  as  harmful  as  the  pre- 
dominance of  the  individualistic  theory  has  been.  It  means 
that  that  social  organization,  which  we  call  the  church,  has 
rights  and  imposes  responsibilities  and  duties  as  a  social  institu- 
tion that  are  as  great  and  important  as  those  pertaining  to 
individuals,  or  special  groups  of  individuals.  It  means  that  the 
welfare  of  society  as  composed  of  all  the  people  shall  have 
its  rightful  proportion  of  interest  in  its  relation  to  individuals 
or  any  class  of  individuals.  The  great  bane  of  socialism  has 
been  its  application  to  class  interests  rather  than  to  the  com- 
bined interests  of  all  the  people.  Its  extremes  are  in  its  local, 
narrow  and  too-limited  applications.  Its  broad  application  to 
the  interests  of  the  whole  community,  nation,  race,  would  surely 
give  to  it  great  value  and  power. 

In  this  search  for  essentials  in  the  beliefs  and  practices  of 
men  as  members  of  the  church  it  has  become  evident  to  many 
minds  that  an  excess  of  individualistic  theory  has  been  very 
harmful  to  the  best  interests  of  the  church  as  an  institution 
designed  to  establish  and  promote  right  and  healthful  social 
relations  among  men,  and  especially  among  Christians. 
Christian  men  and  women  in  all  the  churches  have  become 
convinced  that  a  more  comprehensive  and  better  social  theory 
than  has  prevailed  is  now  necessary  to  enable  the  church  to 
fulfill  its  function  in  the  world.  They  are  seeing  that  the  gen- 
eral interests  of  the  whole  body  of  believers  are  greater,  more 
vital,  and  important,  than  the  supposed  interests  of  any  in- 


86 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


dividual,  or  group  of  individuals.  It  is  clearly  perceived  that 
special  individualistic  beliefs  and  opinions  may  seem  very 
necessary  and  helpful  to  the  minds  and  hearts  of  special  groups 
of  individual  believers,  and  yet  not  be  at  all  essential  to  the 
welfare  of  the  whole  body  of  believers.  Such  opinions  are 
being  modified,  or  abandoned,  as  Christian  people  are  coming 
to  realize  more  perfectly  their  social  duty  and  responsibility 
to  the  church  as  a  universal  institution.  This  will  not  destroy 
individualism.  It  will  put  it  in  its  proper  place  and  let  it 
have  its  proper  power. 

Two  other  extremes  which  affect  the  life  of  the  church 
are  those  of  liberty  and  law.  It  is  in  extreme  views  that  their 
antagonism  appears.  As  they  are  tempered  by  each  other  they 
make  the  condition  in  which  the  life  of  the  church  can  be 
vigorous  and  strong.  Liberty  is  a  great  good,  a  blessing  of 
incomprehensible  value,  when  its  proper  limitations  have  been 
fixed  by  law.  Where  no  law  has  brought  restraint,  it  is  an 
evil  and  a  curse.  Where  liberty  and  law  are  rightly  blended, 
the  results  are  most  useful,  happy,  and  blessed.  Liberty  un- 
restrained by  righteous  law  is  sure  to  lead  to  anarchy  and 
crime.  Madam  Roland  was  conscious  of  its  tendency  to 
evil  in  a  state  of  unrestraint,  when  she  cried:  "O  liberty! 
liberty!  how  many  crimes  are  committed  in  thy  name!  "  On 
the  other  hand  law  without  liberty  is  cruel  and  severe.  It 
acts  with  decision,  rigor,  and  dispatch.  It  is  unmerciful,  im- 
placable, and  inexorable.  Its  spirit  is  unforgiving,  unrelent- 
ing, and  unyielding.  Until  its  extreme  tendencies  have  been 
checked  and  held  in  sway  by  liberty,  life  of  any  kind  cannot 
be  happy  and  prosperous.  It  is  in  the  happy  blending  of  the 
two  that  the  high  interests  of  the  church  can  be  realized. 

Still  other  extremes  that  affect  the  welfare  of  the  church 
are  those  of  authority  and  private  judgment.  Claims  of 
authority  in  opposition  to  those  of  private  judgment,  and  ad- 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


87 


versely,  claims  of  the  right  of  private  judgment  in  opposition 
to  authority,  have  wrought  much  evil  in  the  history  of  the 
church  when  carried  to  extremes.  Extreme  views  on  the 
rights  of  authority  lead  to  tyranny,  oppression  and  cruelty, 
while  extreme  views  on  the  right  of  private  judgment  lead  to 
disobedience,  resistance,  and  rebellion.  The  temperate  zone  of 
thought  where  each  has  proper  sway  insures  the  peace  and 
joy  of  vigorous  life. 

One  more  couplet  of  extremes  that  has  marred  the  welfare 
of  the  church  is  that  of  the  divine  sovereignty  and  man's  free 
moral  agency.  The  extremes  of  these  great  truths  have  made 
dividing  lines.  The  extreme  of  the  one  is  fatalism ;  of  the 
other  the  deification  of  man.  Each  have  their  place  and  func- 
tion in  the  modification  of  the  other.  Their  proper  combina- 
tion brings  life,  and  vigor,  and  joy  to  the  souls  of  men,  and 
health  and  power  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

There  seems  to  be  in  human  nature  a  tendency  toward  ex- 
tremes. A  great  many  of  us  keep  going  on  in  the  pursuit  of 
lines  of  thinking  which  are  leading  us  astray.  The  results 
of  this  tendency  toward  extremes  are  very  manifest  in  the 
multiplied  divisions  of  the  church.  In  the  study  of  some 
particular  question  suggestions  have  come  to  the  minds  of 
active  and  influential  workers  in  the  church  which  they  have 
followed  out  into  the  region  of  extremes.  In  this  region 
they  saw  what  seemed  important  and  essential  to  the  church's 
welfare.  But  others  could  not  see  as  they.  The  view^point 
made  the  difference.  And  thus  one  mind  moves  toward  one 
extreme  and  others  toward  another.  Thus  it  has  been  until 
the  number  of  vie\vpoints  in  divisive  doctrine  shows  great 
divergencies  of  thinking  among  the  people  of  the  churches. 
All  this  is  perfectly  natural.  All  men  are  not  created  to  think 
alike,  and  the  very  best  of  men  are  liable  to  make  mistakes. 
Every  man  sometimes  fails  in  his  reasoning  and  stumbles  in 


88 


The  Alovement  Toivard  Unity 


his  judgment.  Every  man's  vision  of  the  truth  has  points 
where  it  is  more  or  less  imperfect.  "  We  see  through  a  glass 
darkly."  Our  most  perfect  and  complete  knowledge  is  only 
partial.  It  is  wise  to  recognize  our  possibility  of  error  when 
others  cannot  see  as  we.  With  this  in  mind  our  search  for 
essentials  is  sure  to  lead  us  from  the  region  of  extremes  into 
those  realms  of  temperate  opinion  in  which  the  church's  best 
life  and  vigor  are  secured. 

Moreover,  in  this  search  for  essentials  the  influence  of  men's 
emotions  upon  their  beliefs  needs  to  be  recognized.  The  fact 
that  many  of  our  religious  opinions  and  beliefs  are  to  no  small 
degree  the  fruit  of  our  emotions  is  not  always  realized.  That 
men  readily  believe  in  what  pleases  them  and  disbelieve  in 
what  displeases  them  is  often  overlooked  when  thinking  of 
religious  views.  That  men  believe  readily  what  they  want  to 
believe  and  refuse  to  believe  what  they  do  not  want  to  believe 
is  too  often  forgotten  in  the  consideration  of  the  causes  of 
religious  belief.  However,  it  is  a  fact  that  never  fails.  Emo- 
tion is  always  an  efScient  cause  in  the  formation  of  sectarian 
doctrines  as  well  as  in  establishing  and  preserving  forms  of  wor- 
ship and  methods  of  church  work.  The  analysis  of  the  sources 
of  every  Christian  man  and  woman's  religious  beliefs  will 
show  that  their  emotions  had  much  to  do  in  forming  them. 
In  his  "  Essays  on  the  Formation  and  Publication  of 
Opinions,"  Dr.  Silas  Bailey  presents  this  fact  as  follows: 

"  This  attribute  of  drawing  and  fixing  the  attention,  be- 
longs in  a  remarkable  degree  to  all  strong  emotions.  Every 
one  must  have  felt,  while  he  has  been  aflFected  by  any  particular 
passion,  that  he  could  scarcely  attend  to  anything  but  what 
had  some  connection  with  it;  he  must  have  experienced  its 
power  of  presenting  exclusive  and  strong  views,  its  despotism 
in  banishing  all  but  its  own  ideas.  Fear,  for  example,  may  so 
concentrate  our  thoughts  on  some  particular  feature  of  our 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


89 


situation,  may  so  absorb  our  attention,  that  we  may  overlook 
all  other  circumstances  and  be  led  to  conclusions  which  would 
be  instantly  rejected  by  a  dispassionate  understanding. 

"  While  the  mind  is  in  this  state  of  excitement,  it  has  a  sort 
of  elective  attraction  (if  we  may  borrow  an  illustration  from 
chemical  science)  for  some  ideas  to  the  neglect  of  all  others. 
It  singles  out  from  the  number  presented  to  it  those  which 
are  connected  with  the  prevailing  emotion,  while  the  rest  are 
overlooked  or  forgotten.  In  examining  any  question,  it  may 
really  comprehend  all  the  arguments  submitted  to  it;  but, 
at  the  conclusion  of  the  review,  those  only  are  retained  which 
have  been  attended  to,  and  are  in  sight,  not  of  such  as  have 
been  overlooked  and  have  vanished,  it  is  those  by  which  the 
judgment  will  be  determined.  In  this  way  self-interest,  hope, 
fear,  love,  hatred,  and  the  other  passions,  may  any  of  them 
draw  the  mind  from  a  perfect  survey  of  the  subject  and  fix 
its  attention  on  a  partial  view,  may  exaggerate  the  importance 
of  some  objects  and  diminish  that  of  others,  and  by  this  virtual 
distortion  of  appearances  affect  its  perceptions  of  truth." 

The  elimination  of  all  such  denominational  doctrines  as  are 
found  in  the  region  of  extremes  and  of  all  such  as  based  upon 
biased  emotions,  will  leave  the  residuum  in  which  the  es- 
sentials of  Christian  faith  yet  remairu  This  process  of 
elimination  is  not  an  easy  one.  It  calls  for  a  thorough  exami- 
nation of  the  sources,  aims,  and  ef¥ects  of  one's  belief  not  only 
upon  himself  but  also  upon  the  interests  of  Christ's  Kingdom. 
Many  of  our  viewpoints  have  been  given  us  by  our  forbears 
and  have  become  well  grounded  in  our  thinking.  They  have 
had  a  large  place  in  all  our  religious  emotions  and  attach- 
ments. Hut  if  they  are  not  seen  to  be  essential  by  the  great 
body  of  believers  and  our  method  of  defending  and  promoting 
them  is  a  hindrance  to  the  higher  interests  of  Christ's  Kingdom 
they  ought  to  be  modified,  or  abandoned.    Men  are  modify- 


90 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


ing  their  opinions  and  changing  them  on  other  subjects  every 
day.  They  get  another  viewpoint.  They  gain  a  larger  and 
better  comprehension  of  things  relating  to  their  earthly  af- 
fairs and  occupations.  They  set  aside  extremes.  They  are 
moved  by  new  and  broader  emotions.  They  grow^  in  in- 
tellectual character  and  stronger  manhood.  Just  this  too  is 
what  is  taking  place  in  the  Christian  world.  Christian  men 
and  women  are  getting  new  visions,  feeling  new  emotions,  and 
forming  new  opinions  on  religious  matters.  They  are  eliminat- 
ing many  of  their  extreme  ideas  and  giving  up  beliefs  that 
have  rested  on  narrow  and  fallacious  emotions.  They  are  re- 
alizing more  and  more  that  Christianity  is  a  life  more  than  a 
speculation,  a  will  to  serve  Christ  and  help  others  rather  than 
some  divisive  or  particular  belief.  They  are  deciding  for 
themselves  that  the  great  essentials  of  Christianity  are  to 
know  God  truly,  to  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  sincerely,  and  to 
glorify  Him  on  the  earth  by  a  life  of  faith,  righteousness  and 
charity  among  men.  They  so  interpret  the  words  of  Jesus 
when  He  says:  "  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me.  Lord, 
Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven ;  but  he  that 
doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven  "(Matt.  7:  21). 
The  late  Pastor  Wagner,  of  Paris,  declared  that  he  asked 
but  one  question  for  membership  in  his  church  which  he  called 
"  The  Home  of  the  Soul."  This  question  was,  "  What  are 
you  doing  for  Jesus  Christ?"  He  regarded  the  aim  and  ef- 
fort to  honor  Christ  as  more  essential  than  any  particular 
form  of  belief.  He  was  more  concerned  about  the  expression 
of  faith  in  a  life  devoted  to  Christ  than  the  impressions  on  the 
mind  in  regard  to  any  special  form  of  doctrine.  Undoubtedly 
the  will  to  serve  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  at  least  one  of  the 
essentials  to  right  living  and  in  determining  fitness  for  church 
membership. 

All  this  does  not  mean  that  there  is  no  necessity  for  creeds. 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


91 


It  simply  means  the  trimming  of  our  creeds  according  to  the 
truth  in  its  varied  range  of  application.  It  means  the  sloughing 
of  extraneous  matter.  Every  man  must  have  a  creed.  What 
he  believes  has  very  much  to  do  with  what  he  is  and  what 
he  does.  His  creed  is  an  essential  part  in  the  composition 
of  his  Christian  character  and  becomes  the  source  of  his  ac- 
tivity and  efficiency  in  Christian  service.  Not  only  this,  but 
every  Christian  man  should  make  his  creed  as  broad  and  com- 
prehensive as  possible.  The  broader  and  more  comprehen- 
sive it  is  the  more  it  will  contribute  to  the  evolution  of  his 
Christian  manhood.  Every  truth  added  to  his  personal  beliefs 
and  experimentally  realized  in  his  own  life  contributes  to  the 
volume  of  his  intellectual,  moral,  and  spiritual  assets.  The 
catalogue  of  faith  given  in  the  Eleventh  of  Hebrews  exalts 
the  value  and  potency  of  an  individual  creed. 

The  church,  also,  must  have  a  creed.  It  cannot  be  a  living 
organism  without  some  kind  of  corporate  faith.  Community 
of  belief  among  its  members  is  essential  to  its  life  and  welfare. 
It  can  possess  a  faith  as  comprehensive  as  that  of  all  its  mem- 
bers in  their  community  of  thought,  feelings,  aims,  and  pur- 
poses. But  this  united  faith  of  all  its  members  as  a  social 
organization  cannot  include  all  the  individual  beliefs  its  mem- 
bers may  possess.  It  is  a  social  organization,  as  well  as  re- 
ligious, and  can  fittingly  include  in  its  organized  belief  only 
such  things  as  are  believed  in  common.  The  church  should 
have  a  creed  as  broad  and  comprehensive  as  the  general  con- 
sensus of  its  members  can  secure.  Such  a  consensus  would, 
no  doubt,  give  to  it  all  the  great  and  fundamental  truths  of 
the  gospel.  As  already  pointed  out  the  whole  of  Christen- 
dom is  practically  at  one  in  many  of  its  great  beliefs.  The 
churches  hold  many  things  in  common,  and  these  would  seem 
to  be  the  things  that  are  really  essential. 

The  formation  of  a  creed  of  universal  range  and  application 


92 


The  Alovement  Toward  Unity 


would  seem  to  be  a  movement  worthy  of  the  church's  special 
effort.  In  the  formation  of  such  a  creed  it  will  be  necessary 
to  keep  specially  before  the  mind  the  nature  of  the  church 
as  a  social  institution,  as  well  as  religious,  and  that  while  its 
membership  is  made  up  of  "  many  men  of  many  minds  "  they 
yet  have  many  and  essential  things  in  common.  It  would 
seem  necessary,  also,  that  in  the  adoption  of  such  a  creed  it 
should  be  subject  to  the  endorsement  of  Christian  men  and 
women  as  a  body,  or  as  bodies,  of  believers,  and  that  their 
approval  of  it  should  be  clear  and  unmistakable.  Why  would 
it  not  be  fitting  for  the  leaders  of  all  the  churches  to  unite 
in  the  formation  of  such  a  creed  and  in  submitting  it  to  the 
approval  of  all  Christian  people?  The  proposed  World  Con- 
ference on  Faith  and  Order  could  do  this.  In  all  democratic 
countries,  at  least,  this  would  seem  to  be  very  appropriate. 
Such  a  creed  could  be  adopted  and  amended  in  a  way  similar  to 
that  in  which  state  and  national  constitutions  are  adopted  and 
amended  in  democratic  countries.  The  initiative  and  referen- 
dum could  readily  be  adopted  as  a  method  of  change  and 
amendment  in  the  new  organization  of  the  united  church  for 
which  this  universal  creed  should  be  prepared.  An  institution 
which  is  to  include  the  whole  body  of  the  Christian  men  and 
women  in  the  community,  the  state,  the  nation,  the  world, 
must  recognize  their  right  to  say  what  they  unitedly  believe 
and  what  unitedly  they  aim  to  do.  It  must  realize  that  its 
chief  earthly  source  of  authority  is  the  united  will  of  its  mem- 
bership. It  must  accept  as  true  the  old  saying,  "  Vox  populi, 
vox  Dei." 

A  plan  of  organization  no  doubt  could  be  affected  by  which 
one  section  of  the  church  might  have  a  larger  and  more  com- 
prehensive creed  than  another  section,  or  part,  of  it.  This 
would  depend  upon  the  intelligence,  the  devotion,  and  the 
larger  spirit  of  unity  and  cooperation  in  the  one  section  than 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


93 


in  the  other.  Some  of  our  American  states  have  items  in  their 
civil  creeds  which  other  states  do  not  have,  and  yet  are  in 
harmony  with  the  constitution  of  the  general  government. 
So  while  the  universal  church  would  have  its  creed,  both  larger 
and  smaller  sections  of  it  could  have  special  features  by  which 
their  respective  creeds  were  enlarged.  In  this  way  the  re- 
ligious creed  of  Boston  might  differ  considerably  in  some  re- 
spects from  that  of  New  York,  and  that  of  Philadelphia  from 
that  of  Chicago,  while  all  were  in  harmony  with  the  general 
creed  of  Christendom. 

It  would  seem  possible  to  form  a  universal  creed  containing 
all  the  real  essentials  of  Christian  faith  necessary  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  the  church's  aim  and  work.  It  has  been  noted 
repeatedly  that  there  is  much  unity  in  the  belief  of  all  the 
churches.  All  these  points  of  unity  could  be  included  in  a 
general  creed.  Such  a  creed  could  have  an  article,  or  articles, 
about  the  being,  character  and  work  of  God.  It  could  have  an 
article,  or  articles,  about  the  person  and  work  of  Jesus  Christ. 
It  could  have  an  article  about  the  person,  office,  and  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  ought  to  be  easy  to  insert  an  article 
about  the  evil  and  penalty  of  sin  and  the  way  of  deliverance 
from  it.  At  the  present  time  it  would  seem  that  righteousness 
and  justice  in  their  relation  to  personal,  social,  commercial, 
national,  and  international  affairs,  could  be  accorded  a  full 
and  stong  statement  in  such  a  creed.  No  doubt  a  statement 
could  be  framed  that  would  be  generally  acceptable  in  regard 
to  the  nature  and  necessity  of  Christian  faith.  It  ought  to 
be  possible  to  frame  one  in  regard  to  Christian  love  which 
was  specially  designated  by  Christ  as  a  test  of  discipleship, 
but  has  not  had  its  proper  emphasis  in  modern  creeds.  An- 
other article  that  ought  to  be  included  in  this  creed  for  all 
Christendom  is  one  that  places  emphasis  upon  the  ideal  of 
Jesus  for  the  unity  of  His  people.    This  is  a  vital  truth  in 


94 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


relation  to  the  church's  welfare  and  ought  to  be  a  forceful 
part  in  every  Christian's  creed. 

The  importance  of  the  united  organization  of  the  whole 
church  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  formation  of  a  creed  for  the 
guidance  of  its  work  is  suggested  by  the  political  history  of 
America.  Though  there  was  unity  of  aim  and  effort  during 
the  Revolutionary  War  under  the  Articles  of  Confederation, 
these  were  not  sufficient,  and  a  general  constitution  was  neces- 
sary before  peace  and  prosperity  could  be  really  established. 
The  closer  and  more  perfect  union  of  the  states  by  the  adoption 
of  our  national  constitution  gave  strength  and  stability  to  our 
national  existence.  When  the  unity  of  our  country  was  after- 
ward endangered  by  our  Civil  War,  our  national  creed  of 
unity  was  effectively  defended  at  the  cost  of  great  and  willing 
sacrifice  by  those  who  believed  in  this  creed,  and  the  union 
was  preserved.  The  present  greatness  of  our  country  is  the 
result  of  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  the  great  prin- 
ciple of  unity  in  our  national  creed.  A  like  creed  of  unity 
in  the  church  established  and  faithfully  maintained  would 
doubtless  bring  similar  blessing  to  the  prosperity,  strength,  and 
power  of  its  work. 

Another  possible  item  in  this  creed  of  things  that  are  essential 
would  seem  to  be  a  statement  in  regard  to  toleration.  Of 
course  the  kind  of  toleration  that  would  be  appropriate  to  the 
church  would  not  be  that  which  belongs  to  the  lazy  and  in- 
different, who  have  no  aspiration  to  find  the  truth  and  be 
obedient  to  its  demands;  nor  that  of  the  sceptic,  who  doubts 
the  possibility  of  finding  the  truth  and  claims  that  all  knowl- 
edge is  too  uncertain,  and  that  one  opinio.!  is  as  good  as  an- 
other; but,  the  toleration  of  the  earnest  and  devoted  seeker, 
who  believes  that  truth  sufficient  for  safe  guidance  in  life  is 
possible  and  sure  to  the  faithful  inquirer,  and  who  at  the  same 
time  perceives  the  limitations  of  his  own  powers  and  his  liability 


The  Search  for  Essentials 


95 


to  err.  This  toleration  will  cause  a  man  to  recognize  the 
struggle  of  all  other  fellow  Christians  and  teach  him  to  re- 
gard them  as  companions  and  friends  in  the  great  inquiry 
after  the  truths  by  which  men  truly  live  and  are  prepared  to 
die. 

In  view  of  all  this  it  would  seem  as  though  the  essentials 
might  soon  be  found  and  recognized  by  the  whole  church,  the 
Body  of  Christ.  The  search  which  has  been  going  on  has 
certainly  suggested  that  they  exist  ia  the  general  beliefs  of 
Christian  men  and  women  everywhere.  To  formulate  a  gen- 
eral statement  of  the  truths  that  are  commonly  believed  among 
us,  such  a  statement  as  would  be  acceptable  to  the  great  masses 
of  Christian  people  in  all  lands,  though  not  stating  all  that 
we  as  individuals  or  in  groups  might  believe,  is  certainly  with- 
in the  skill  and  wisdom  of  our  leading  churchmen  in  the  various 
denominations.  A  plan  by  which  a  creed  composed  of  these 
essentials  can  be  submitted  to  the  judgment  and  for  the  ap- 
proval of  the  whole  body  of  believers  has  in  a  general  way  been 
suggested.  Is  it  too  much  to  hope  that  some  effective  plan  will 
soon  be  inaugurated  for  the  consummation  of  this  end? 


A  POSSIBLE  IMPOSSIBLE 


'♦TMPOSSIBLE!  "    "  Too  visionary !  "    "  An  idle  dream !  " 

X"A  vain  ideal!"  "Wholly  absurd!"  Such  have  been 
the  exclamations  that  one  was  wont  to  hear  in  times  past 
in  regard  to  the  complete  unifying  of  the  churches.  As 
men  have  looked  at  the  many  divisions  of  the  church  and 
thought  of  the  naturally  combative  disposition  of  the  human 
race  they  have  become  very  dubious  about  the  possibility  of 
such  a  union  and  pronounced  it  an  impossible  thing.  More- 
over they  have  been  accustomed  to  look  upon  the  divided 
state  of  the  church  as  a  fixed  reality  and  have  been  disposed 
to  think  that  the  present  state  is  the  best  that  could  be  de- 
vised. This  is  the  natural  attitude  of  conservatism.  Such 
men  do  not  believe  very  much  in  change,  do  not  want  any 
verj'  great  changes  to  take  place,  and  are  indisposed  to  think 
that  they  are  possible.  They  are  wont  to  look  upon  those  who 
have  a  vision  of  such  unity  as  too  visionary,  idle  dreamers,  mere 
idealists  in  regard  to  the  matter  of  a  united  church. 

Those  who  have  pronounced  it  impossible  have  been  ac- 
customed to  look  chiefly  at  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered, 
the  obstacles  to  be  overcome,  the  barriers  to  be  removed,  and 
have  failed  to  see  the  impelling  forces  at  work  to  bring  it  to 
pass.  They  have  thought  of  the  great  diversities  of  doctrine 
and  the  perverse  tenacity  of  men  in  holding  their  opinions 
and  were  convinced  that  no  reconciliation  of  beliefs  is  pos- 
sible. They  have  thought  of  the  strong  attachments  which 
many  have  for  a  particular  church,  its  people,  forms  of  wor- 
ship, histor>',  and  were  assured  these  would  rebel  against  the 
project  of  a  general  union.  They  have  thought  of  the  natural 
selfishness  of  the  human  heart  and  felt  that  this  made  unity 

96 


A  Possible  Impossible 


97 


impossible.  They  have  thought  of  the  personal  ambitions  of 
some  ecclesiastical  leaders,  the  denominational  politicians,  and 
feared  that  they  might  be  against  it.  They  have  thought  of 
the  hindrances  rather  than  the  helps  toward  unity.  But  quiet 
and  effective  forces  have  been  at  work  impelling  the  move- 
ment onward.  Their  work  has  been  effective  in  causing  many 
to  believe  that  the  impossible  is  rapidly  becoming  possible. 

Twenty-five  years  ago  the  idea  of  its  impossibility  was  very 
general.  Very  few  were  then  bold  enough  to  advocate  the 
cause  of  organic  unity  as  the  right  ideal.  Its  impossibility  was 
frequently  voiced.  The  late  Bishop  Brookes,  of  Boston,  ex- 
pressed the  general  sentiment  then  prevailing  among  the  leaders 
of  the  church  as  well  as  among  the  masses  of  Christian  people, 
when  he  wrote: 

"  I  do  not  see  the  slightest  promise  in  any  dimmest  distance 
of  what  is  called  the  organic  unity  of  Christendom  on  the 
basis  of  episcopacy  or  any  other  basis.  I  do  not  see  the  slight- 
est chance  of  the  entire  harmonizing  of  Christian  doctrine 
throughout  the  Christian  world  —  that  dream  which  men  have 
ever  dreamed  since  Christ  ascended  into  heaven,  that  sight 
which  no  man's  eye  has  ever  seen  in  any  age." 

But  great  changes  in  men's  thinking  have  come  to  pass 
within  a  quarter  of  a  century.  At  that  time  doctrine  was  be- 
lieved to  be  the  only  basis  of  church  fellowship  and  that  only 
those  who  thought  alike  on  mooted  questions  could  properly 
be  joined  together  in  one  body.  To-day  Christian  men  and 
women  are  realizing  that  there  is  enough  of  doctrine  believed 
in  by  all  to  constitute  a  broad  and  firm  basis  of  unity  and  that 
there  is  in  addition  enough  of  unity  of  heart  and  purpose 
on  the  part  of  Christian  people  everywhere  to  make  such 
unity  not  only  possible  but  very  effective  in  making  the  King- 
doms of  this  world  to  become  the  Kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and 
Savior  Jesus  Christ. 


98 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


This  great  change  has  come  about  and  is  still  progressing 
in  a  natural  way.  Growth  is  the  law  of  every  living  thing. 
If  growth  is  not  transpiring  it  has  begun  to  die.  The  law 
of  growth  in  the  church  demands  that  changes  shall  take 
place.  This  change  is  in  full  and  perfect  harmony  with 
Christ's  ideal  for  His  church  and  with  all  His  teaching  and 
that  of  His  apostles  in  regard  to  it.  Besides,  the  spirit  and 
power  of  the  gospel  is  one  of  change.  The  man  whose  heart 
and  life  are  wrong  and  is  persuaded  to  accept  Christ  as  his 
Savior  and  to  follow  Him  is  "  a  changed  man."  Any 
Christian  who  forsakes  "  the  plague  of  his  own  heart "  and 
consecrates  himself  anew  to  the  service  of  his  God  is  "  a 
changed  man."  The  power  of  the  gospel  is  to  change  men 
in  their  regeneration  and  growth  in  grace.  And  shall  not  this 
law  of  growth  be  effective  in  the  church  as  well  as  in  the  in- 
dividual? Is  it  not  according  to  a  firmly  established  law  of 
God  that  such  a  change  should  take  place?  Shall  we  not 
regard  this  change  as  the  result  of  God's  own  quiet  forces 
guided  by  His  Spirit  in  preparation  for  a  new  and  better  mani- 
festation of  power  and  fruitfulness  than  the  church  has  ever 
•known?  Is  it  not  the  sign  that  the  springtime  of  a  new  era 
in  the  church's  growth  and  progress  is  here? 

This  change  had  made  considerable  progress  before  the 
outbreak  of  the  present  great  world  war.  This  was  evident 
in  the  ready  transfer  of  ministers  from  one  denomination  to 
another.  The  tendency  to  such  transference  had  been  grow- 
ing rapidly  for  several  years.  So  much  was  this  the  case  that 
a  considerable  part  of  the  ministry  in  many  denominations 
had  come  to  it  from  other  denominations.  Evidently  those 
who  made  these  transfers  did  not  regard  denominational  dis- 
tinctives  as  essential.  The  same  readiness  of  transfer  existed 
among  the  people.  In  all  our  congregations  are  found  a  con- 
siderable proportion  of  their  membership  that  came  to  them 


A  Possible  Impossible 


99 


from  other  denominations.  These  members  from  other 
churches  are  as  active  and  faithful  in  church  duties  as  those 
raised  within  the  churches.  Besides,  when  Christian  people 
changed  the  location  of  their  home  it  was  getting  to  be  very 
uncertain  what  denomination  they  would  join  in  their  new 
location.  Many  had  come  to  believe  that  the  nearest  and 
most  convenient  church  was  the  one  most  deserving  of  their 
consideration  as  both  church  people  and  community  builders. 
This  fact  in  regard  to  transfers  shows  the  possibility  of  union 
so  far  as  a  considerable  proportion  of  the  ministry  and  people 
are  concerned. 

Another  ground  of  possibility  in  relation  to  unity  is  found 
in  the  uniformity  of  worship  that  has  prevailed.  There  has 
grown  to  be  ver>'  little  difference  in  the  forms  of  worship  used 
in  the  churches.  One  church  has  influenced  another  until  they 
have  reached  a  unity  of  plan  in  regard  to  all  their  forms. 
When  one  church  has  adopted  some  new  form  that  commended 
itself  to  the  common  sense  of  all  its  people,  other  neighboring 
churches  have  soon  adopted  this  new  form.  The  difference 
between  denominations  is  often  less  than  that  between  differ- 
ent churches  of  the  same  denomination.  In  going  from  the 
worship  of  one  church  to  another  worshippers  are  not  disturbed 
by  any  such  change  of  form  as  would  mar  the  comfort  and  en- 
joyment of  their  worship.  This  unity  of  form  in  worship  and 
methods  of  procedure  among  the  various  churches  indicates 
the  possibility  of  a  more  complete  and  perfect  unity. 

Another  evidence  of  this  possibility  is  seen  in  the  growing 
conviction  for  some  years  that  these  divisions  are  sinful.  The 
persuasion  has  come  to  many  minds  that  these  divisions  exist 
in  direct  opposition  to  the  revealed  will  of  Christ  and  that 
the  people  of  God  ought  to  repent  of  this  sin  and  turn  away 
from  it.  In  the  growth  of  this  conviction  there  lies  great 
possibilities  in  regard  to  the  future  of  the  church.    The  con- 


lOO 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


viction  of  sin  with  its  appropriate  repentance  is  sure  to  bring 
a  corresponding  course  of  action.  For  some  years  a  goodly 
and  increasing  number  have  been  bemoaning  the  sin  of  these 
divisions,  confessing  their  part  in  this  sin,  and  are  ready  and 
anxious  for  such  a  change  as  will  remove  the  outward  evidence 
of  their  guilt.  As  soon  as  this  growing  conviction  becomes 
the  persuasion  of  Christian  people  generally  the  complete  uni- 
fication of  the  churches  will  soon  be  an  accomplished  reality. 

Another  evidence  of  this  possibility  is  seen  in  the  success 
already  had  by  churches  with  brief  and  comprehensive  creeds. 
The  Protestant  Church  of  Japan  is  an  instance.  With  a  very 
brief  statement  of  creed  it  has,  for  several  years,  been  doing 
a  very  effective  Christian  work.  Combining  all  the  Protestant 
denominations  at  work  in  the  Empire  of  Japan  it  made  its 
formula  of  doctrine  such  as  could  be  readily  endorsed  by  all, 
and  it  has  proven  fully  sufficient  for  great  efficiency  in  Christian 
work.  The  success  of  this  one  case  is  very  suggestive  of  what 
might  be  expected  in  every  country  by  a  similar  movement. 
There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  result  would  be  differ- 
ent in  America,  or  in  any  other  country,  but  every  reason  to 
believe  that  a  similar  result  would  be  sure  to  follow. 

Still  another  evidence  of  this  possibility  is  seen  in  the  in- 
creasing ef?orts  toward  unity  among  the  churches  in  these 
later  years.  Proposals  to  unite  two  or  more  churches  have 
been  on  the  increase  and  all  these  proposals  have  been  seriously 
and  faithfully  considered  and  in  some  cases  unions  have  been 
formed.  In  other  cases  the  spirit  of  unity  was  strong,  but  not 
quite  strong  enough  as  yet  to  bring  about  the  union  proposed. 
Whether  or  not  a  union  has  resulted,  tlie  spirit  of  unity  has 
been  fostered  and  increased  by  such  proposals  and  their  honest 
and  sincere  consideration.  The  fact  that  such  proposals  have 
been  made  and  seriously  considered  is  very  suggestive  along 
the  line  of  future  possibilities. 


A  Possible  Impossible 


lOI 


A  still  further  evidence  of  this  possibility  is  seen  in  the 
organization  and  growing  power  and  usefulness  of  the  Federal 
Council.  This  partial  union  of  many  of  the  Protestant 
American  churches  was  a  great  step  toward  a  greater  and  still 
more  perfect  unity.  The  fact  that  it  has  been  possible  to  unite 
all  these  denominations  so  fully  and  so  far,  is  surely  a  hint 
at  the  possibility  of  going  still  further  and  of  forming  one 
completely  united  body.  The  Federal  Council  is  doing  a 
great  work  and  its  power  is  none  the  less  because  its  methods 
are  merely  advisory  and  suggestive.  Its  success  by  means  of 
these  methods  is  very  suggestive  in  regard  to  the  possibilities 
of  a  thoroughly  united  church.  Such  a  church  can  be  man- 
datory and  inhibitory  only  so  far  as  the  consensus  of  its  con- 
stituents can  be  secured.  Outside  this  consensus  the  teaching 
of  any  part  of  it  will  need  to  be  recognized  as  merely  advisory 
and  suggestive.  Surely  it  is  possible  to  organize  a  united 
church  on  some  such  basis. 

Still  another  evidence  of  this  possibility  is  seen  in  the  Unity 
Foundation  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  and  in  the 
pronouncements  within  the  last  decade  or  so  of  some  of  its  lead- 
ing bishops  in  America.  The  Unity  Foundation  began  to  ar- 
range for  a  World  Conference  on  Faith  and  Order,  which  has 
been  delayed  by  the  outbreak  and  continuance  of  the  present 
war.  In  the  meantime  the  work  of  this  Foundation  has  gone 
forward  in  the  line  of  inquiry  and  consideration  of  the  prob- 
lems involved.  The  bishops  of  the  last  decade  have  seen  dif- 
ferently from  Bishop  Brookes.  The  Bishop  of  Chicago,  the 
Bishop  of  Michigan,  and  the  Bishop  of  Quincy,  all  elsewhere 
quoted  in  this  volume,  have  been  the  earnest  advocates  of  the 
spirit  of  unity,  and  of  its  fuller  manifestation  in  the  outward 
unification  of  the  church,  and  their  utterances  have  been  widely 
circulated.  A  vision  of  the  possibility  of  a  united  church 
had  evidently  begun  to  fill  the  minds  of  leaders  and  laymen 


I02 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


of  this  church  before  the  war  began  and  has  grown  greater  as 
the  titanic  struggle  has  gone  on. 

Indeed,  in  every  church  and  from  every  standpoint  one  great 
effect  of  this  most  frightful  and  most  cruel  of  all  wars  has 
been  to  increase  tlie  possibility  of  a  united  church.  The  sin  of 
its  divisions  soon  became  very  evident  under  the  white  light 
of  a  continuous  thunderbolt.  The  utter  inability  of  a  divided 
church  to  meet  the  demands  coming  quickly  and  heavily  upon 
it  were  soon  apparent.  The  weakness,  narrowness,  and  folly, 
of  mere  sectarian  efforts  in  any  kind  of  war-work  was  soon 
recognized,  and  the  people  of  the  churches  soon  gave  their 
largest  and  heartiest  support  to  organizations  which  represent 
no  sect,  but  bring  many  sects  together  in  their  special  field 
of  work.  The  importance  of  unity  and  cooperation  in  all  re- 
ligious work  have  been  emphasized  during  this  war  as  they 
have  never  been  before,  and  the  willingness  of  ministers  and 
people  to  set  aside  sectarian  interests  for  the  bigger  and  broader 
work  of  more  general  agencies  has  been  very  much  in  evidence 
during  the  last  four  years.  Young  ministers  have  been  flock- 
ing into  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work  and  chaplaincies  and  the  people 
of  the  churches  have  been  giving  large  sums  of  money  to  the 
Red  Cross  Society,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  kindred  unsectarian 
agencies.  The  idea  of  helping  and  working  for  some  organi- 
zation that  is  great,  and  large,  and  comprehensive,  and  world 
wide,  has  taken  a  strong  grip  on  the  average  American  mind 
and  after  the  war  is  over  it  is  not  at  all  likely  that  very  many 
will  be  satisfied  with  the  narrow  limitations  and  efforts  of  any 
of  the  denominations.  The  possibility  of  a  united  church  has 
surely  been  much  strengthened  by  the  war. 

Not  a  few  writers  have  noted  this  effect  of  the  present 
war  upon  sectarian  interests  and  have  realized  its  meaning. 
They  are  ready  to  declare  that  denominations  are  no  longer 
needed,  that  their  distinctive  work  has  ended.    Principal  D.  L. 


A  Possible  Impossible 


103 


Ritchie,  one  of  Great  Britain's  forceful  leaders,  expresses  a 
sentiment  common  to  a  great  many  Christian  people  of  the 
present  day,  when  in  a  press  article  on  Denominationalism,  he 
says : 

"  Denominationalism  is  dead.  It  was  slowly  dying  before 
the  war;  the  war  has  dealt  it  a  fatal  blow.  Its  mummified 
body  may  linger  long  among  the  churches,  but  it  will  not  en- 
able them  to  make  any  response  to  the  aims  and  aspirations 
of  the  New  World  now  in  the  making.  One  is  not  unmind- 
ful that  there  are  still  many  faithful  who  bemoan  what  they 
call  laxity  in  principle,  and  that,  with  many  other  reasons, 
such  as  practicality  in  religion,  as  in  other  affairs  of  life,  has 
prevailed  to  produce  denominational  lukewarmness.  Nor 
would  one  speak  as  if  principles  for  which  the  fathers  stood 
were  no  longer  of  value  to  churches  and  the  nation.  But  facts 
must  be  faced.  The  whole  drift  of  things  has  left  denomi- 
nationalism stranded.  The  war  has  carried  away  any  living 
interest  that  with  effort  might  have  refloated  it.  The  New 
World  will  have  problems  too  many  and  terrible  to  spare 
energy  for  mere  denominational  differences.  The  lurid  con- 
flagration of  the  war  is  burning  up  not  only  '  wood,  hay  and 
stubble  '  partitions,  but,  one  fears,  some  solid  foundations  too. 

"  It  is  a  commonplace  now  to  say  that  there  is  no  denomina- 
tionalism in  the  trenches;  there  men  are  Britons  and  brothers. 
In  the  midst  of  this  war's  measureless  calamity,  only  the  things 
vital  to  the  soul  matter.  The  one  thing  needful  is  that  re- 
ligious men  should  be  '  white  men.'  Forgiveness  of  sins  and 
life  eternal  in  Christ  Jesus  are  the  themes  that  move  and  hold 
men  out  there,  so  that  even  clerics  are  getting  their  horizons 
widened.  ...  In  the  midst  of  the  drawn-out  agony  of  this 
war  men  are  seeing  clearly  the  things  that  matter,  and  learn- 
ing to  love  one  another  for  Christ's  sake.    Moreover  the  men 


I04 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


on  the  field,  surely  with  right  instinct,  blame  denominational 
squabbles  for  the  impotence  of  Christianity  in  the  world.  They 
recognize  that  human  nature  being  what  it  is,  uniformity  can- 
not be  expected,  but  hold  that  there  should  be  unity,  coopera- 
tion, and  charity.  Denominational  quarrelling  will  certainly 
receive  short  shrift  at  the  hands  of  men,  who,  having  fought 
for  England,  return  to  build  up  in  earnest  a  motherland  worthy 
of  the  sacrifice  made  in  her  defense.  And  all  the  logic  of  fact 
—  the  need  for  national  unity,  the  call  for  efficiency,  economic 
stringency,  the  demands  for  social  reform,  and  the  urgency  of 
righteousness  seeking  its  Kingdom  will  be  on  their  side.  Mere 
ecclesiastical  claims  by  any  church  will  be  counted  as  nothing  in 
the  presence  of  spiritual  power  and  Christlike  leadership  and 
service.  Would  that  any  one  could  as  confidently  affirm  that 
an  outcome  of  the  war  will  be  a  spiritual  revival  as  it  will 
surely  be  impatience  with  mere  denominationalism." 

Another  evidence  of  this  possibility  has  lately  appeared 
in  the  Conference  of  Theological  Schools  held  at  Harvard 
University,  Aug.  13-16,  19 18.  The  representatives  of  fifty- 
three  seminaries  and  fifteen  of  the  leading  denominations  of 
the  country  were  present.  Every  school  of  thought  and  every 
age  of  service  w-ere  represented  there.  Its  great  spirit  and  pur- 
pose was  to  face  the  present-day  problems  of  the  church.  No 
sectarian  claims  or  emphasis  appeared.  No  counter-charges 
came  from  orthodox  or  liberal  though  both  were  represented. 
Before  its  close  these  delegates  from  all  the  leading  churches 
of  the  country  sat  down  together  while  Bishop  Lawrence  of 
the  Episcopal  Church  administered  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  The  statement  of  the  findings  of  the  conference  ac- 
cord with  its  spirit  and  its  purpose.  The  assembling  of  such 
a  conference  and  the  peaceful  and  harmonious  continuance  of 
its  work  is  very  significant.  Surely  the  taking  of  this  step 
by  these  theological  schools  is  the  sign  of  a  growing  possibility 


A  Possible  Impossible 


105 


in  regard  to  a  more  complete  unification  of  the  churches,  in 
the  not  very  distant  future. 

The  possibility  of  unity  in  regard  to  some  form  of  church 
government  has  grown  greatly  since  the  beginning  of  the 
present  war.  Christian  men  are  coming  more  and  more  to 
realize  that  it  is  worse  than  folly  to  contend  about  a  matter 
that  Jesus  and  His  apostles  were  so  indii5erent  about  as  not 
to  be  more  specific  in  their  directions  about  it.  The  London 
Correspondent  of  The  Homiletic  Review  (September,  1918) 
indicates  how  the  prospects  of  unity  are  growing  along  this  line 
in  Great  Britain.    He  writes: 

"  The  movement  toward  church  union  has  been  making 
very  rapid  strides  of  late,  and  a  new  tone  and  temper  indicate 
the  growing  desire  for  unity,  even  so  uncompromising  an  organ 
of  Anglo-Catholicism  as  the  Church  Times  showing  a 
Christian  tolerance  and  largeness  of  outlook  that  no  one  could 
have  dreamt  of  from  that  quarter  four  years  ago.  In  a  re- 
markable address  given  to  the  deputies  of  '  Protestant  Dis- 
senters of  the  Three  Denominations  '  ( Presbyterian,  Independ- 
ent, and  Baptist)  Canon  E.  A.  Burroughs  suggests  a  policy  of 
union  embracing  ( i )  the  recognition  of  nonconformist  orders 
as  valid,  tho  from  an  Anglican  point  of  view  irregular  and 
(2)  the  acceptance  of  episcopacy,  by  nonconformists.  He  also 
advocates  a  united  preaching  mission,  in  which  Cardinal 
Bourne  might  unite  with  General  Booth.'  Another  significant 
pronouncement  was  recently  made  by  the  moderator  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland,  speaking  in  the  crypt  of  St.  Paul's  Cathe- 
dral. He  stoutly  maintained  the  validity  of  Presbyterian 
orders,  but  also  exprest  the  view  that  the  united  church  of  the 
future  must  be  episcopal  in  government.  He  hoped  that  in 
four  or  five  years  the  Church  of  Scotland  and  the  United  Free 
Church  would  be  united,  and  he  looked  beyond  that  for  union 
with  the  Church  of  England  and  the  Episcopalian  Church  of 


io6 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


Scotland,  together  with  all  the  Presbyterian  bodies.  The 
Presbyterians  would  maintain  all  the  distinctive  features  of 
their  organization,  from  the  Kirk  sessions  to  the  General  As- 
sembly, but  they  would  accept  the  historic  episcopate,  thus 
uniting  themselves  with  the  Anglican  Communion  and  paving 
the  way  for  union  in  the  remoter  future  with  Rome  and  the 
East.  These  and  similar  utterances  point  to  a  quickening 
of  the  pace  toward  corporate  unity  which  may  give  us  food  for 
thought  in  more  than  one  direction." 

Of  like  import  in  America  has  been  the  conciliatory  spirit 
shown  in  friendly  conference  by  the  representatives  of  the 
three  distinctive  forms  of  church  government.  The  large  as- 
semblies and  conventions  of  some  of  the  churches  have  had 
their  unit>'  sessions  in  which  this  spirit  was  manifest  by  ad- 
dresses from  well-known  representatives  of  all  these  forms. 

A  similar  evidence  of  possibility  along  this  line  is  found 
in  the  Second  Interim  Report,  which  has  been  lately  issued 
by  a  joint  Conference,  or  Commission,  appointed  by  the 
Archbishops  of  Canterbury-  and  York  and  by  the  Free  Churches 
of  England.  This  Commission  was  appointed  in  response  to 
the  appeal  sent  out  by  the  Unity  Foundation  of  the  American 
Episcopal  Church  in  regard  to  a  World  Conference  on  Faith 
and  Order.  In  presenting  this  second  interim  report  the  Com- 
mission says  that  it  is  not  formulating  any  basis  of  union  but 
is  preparing  for  the  consideration  of  such  a  basis.  It  is  "  ex- 
ploring the  ground  in  order  to  discover  the  ways  of  approach 
to  the  questions  to  be  considered  that  seem  most  promising  and 
hopeful."    The  first  item  of  this  report  is  as  follows: 

"  I.  In  all  our  discussions  (relating  to  Order)  we  were 
guided  by  two  convictions  from  which  we  could  not  escape, 
and  would  not  if  we  could. 

"  It  is  the  purpose  of  our  Lord  that  believers  in  Him  should 
be  one  visible  society,  and  this  unity  is  essential  to  the  purpose 


A  Possible  Impossible 


107 


of  Christ  for  His  Church  and  for  its  eflEective  witness  and  work 
in  the  world.  The  conflict  among  Christian  nations  has 
brought  home  to  us  with  greater  poignancy  the  disastrous  re- 
sults of  the  divisions  which  prevail  among  Christians,  inas- 
much as  they  have  hindered  that  growth  of  mutual  understand- 
ing which  it  would  be  the  function  of  the  Church  to  foster, 
and  because  a  Church  which  is  itself  divided  cannot  speak 
effectively  to  a  divided  world. 

"  The  visible  unity  of  believers  which  answers  to  our  Lord's 
purpose  must  have  its  source  and  sanction,  not  in  any  human 
arrangements,  but  in  the  will  of  the  One  Father,  manifested 
in  the  Son,  and  affected  through  the  operation  of  the  Spirit; 
and  it  must  express  and  maintain  the  fellowship  of  His  people 
with  one  another  in  Him.  Thus  the  visible  unity  of  the  Body 
of  Christ  is  not  adequately  expressed  in  the  cooperation  of 
Christian  Churches  for  moral  influence  and  social  service, 
though  such  cooperation  might  with  great  advantage  be  carried 
much  further  than  it  is  at  present;  it  could  only  be  fully 
realized  through  community  of  worship,  faith  and  order,  in- 
cluding common  participation  in  the  Lord's  Supper.  This 
would  be  compatible  with  a  rich  diversity  in  life  and  wor- 
ship." 

And  yet  another  evidence  of  the  possibility  of  organic  union 
is  found  in  the  rapidly  increasing  propaganda  for  this  cause. 
Much  is  now  being  said  and  written  in  regard  to  it.  In  former 
times  it  was  not  so.  Frequent  references  to  it  are  now  found 
in  both  religious  and  secular  press.  It  is  a  living  topic  of  dis- 
cussion as  it  has  never  been  before,  and  most  of  the  discus- 
sion is  in  its  favor.  The  most  noted  article  along  this  line 
is  that  of  Mr.  John  D.  Rockefeller,  Jr.,  which  appeared  a 
few  months  ago  in  The  Saturday  Evening  Post  on  The 
Christian  Church:  What  of  Its  Future?  The  Christian 
Work  reprinted  this  article  and  has  since  been  carrying  on  a 


io8 


The  Movement  Toward  Unity 


discussion  of  its  merits,  in  which  its  main  positions  have  been 
very  generally  endorsed  by  numerous  correspondents.  In  this 
article  after  showing  the  inability  of  the  Church  in  its  divided 
state  to  meet  the  present  spiritual  need  of  the  world  Mr. 
Rockefeller  presents  his  vision  of  the  future  church  which  is 
very  similar  to  the  visions  had  by  many  others.    He  says: 

"  I  see  all  denominational  emphasis  set  aside. 

"  I  see  cooperation,  not  competition. 

"  In  the  large  cities  I  see  great  religious  centers,  wisely  lo- 
cated, adequately  equipped,  strongly  supported  and  inspiring  all 
their  members  to  participation  in  all  community  matters. 

"  In  smaller  places,  instead  of  half  a  dozen  dying  churches, 
competing  with  each  other,  I  see  one  or  two  strong  churches, 
uniting  the  Christian  life  of  the  town;  great  economy  in  plant, 
in  money,  in  service,  in  leadership  ;  money  enough  saved  in  this 
way  to  support  adequately  home  and  foreign  missions. 

"  I  see  the  church  moulding  the  thought  of  the  world  as  it 
has  never  done  before,  leading  in  all  great  movements  as  it 
should. 

"  I  see  it  literally  establishing  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth. 

"  Shall  this  vision  be  realized?  The  future  of  the  Christian 
Church  depends  on  the  answer  Christian  men  and  women  give 
to  that  question." 

Such  a  propaganda  is  sure  to  bring  results.  The  philosophy 
and  teaching  of  to-day  becomes  the  practice  and  the  habit  of 
to-morrow.  The  agitation  of  a  subject  is  in  the  line  of  its 
accomplishment.  All  that  is  necessary  to  make  organic  unity 
possible  is  for  the  leaders  and  people  of  the  churches  to  think 
it  possible.  This  growing  propaganda  is  helping  to  make  them 
think  so. 

It  would  seem  as  though  the  cumulative  force  of  all  these 
evidences,  or  signs,  of  the  possibility  of  the  organic  as  well  as 
the  spiritual  unity  of  the  church  in  the  not  very  distant  future 


A  Possible  Impossible 


109 


would  make  that  possibility  appear  quite  strong.  Any  one  or 
two  of  them  may  seem  rather  insignificant  but  their  joint  ef- 
fect is  surely  very  encouraging  to  the  belief  that  the  impos- 
sible is  rapidly  becoming  possible. 


BARRIERS 


r 


TENACITY  OF  OPINION 

MEN  soon  form  an  opinion  on  any  subject  to  which  they 
have  given  a  little  thought  and  the  more  frequently  any 
opinion  passes  through  the  mind  the  more  tenacious  it  is  sure 
to  become.  Men  are  creatures  of  mental  and  moral  habits  and 
these  habits  become  just  as  firmly  fixed  and  difficult  to  change 
as  their  physical  habits,  and  the  older  one  gets  the  harder  it 
will  become  to  make  any  change  whether  it  relates  to  those 
that  are  physical  or  to  those  that  are  mental  and  moral.  The 
effort  becomes  more  difficult  when  left  to  individual  initiative, 
aim,  and  action  and  needs  the  help  of  such  physical,  social, 
and  moral  conditions  as  will  awaken,  encourage,  and  stimulate 
new  thoughts,  emotions,  and  purposes.  It  is  more  difficult  for 
some  people  to  change  their  habits  of  any  kind  than  for  others. 
Their  temperament  is  different  from  that  of  others  and  makes 
their  habits  more  fixed  and  harder  to  forsake.  The  change 
of  any  habit  requires  a  strong  conviction  as  to  the  value  and 
importance  of  such  change  and  a  determined  purpose  that  it 
shall  be  affected.  All  this  applies  to  moral  and  religious  habits 
just  as  fully  as  to  any  other  kind,  and  with  some  these  are  the 
more  tenacious  as  they  touch  more  deeply  what  they  are  per- 
suaded is  the  wellspring  of  their  lives. 

Religious  opinions  are  ver>'  easily  and  readily  developed. 
They  come  as  the  result  of  parental.  Bible  school,  and  clerical 
instruction  in  the  early  and  unfolding  years  of  life.  They 
come  as  the  result  of  continuous  association  with  those  who 
think  in  certain  ways  and  have  particular  and  peculiar  notions 
upon  some  certain  particular  and  peculiar  dogma.  They  come 
as  the  result  of  a  preponderance  of  religious  reading  favorable 
to  some  particular  denominational  standards  to  which  al- 

1^3 


114 


Barriers 


legiance  has  been  accorded.  They  come  as  the  result  of  con- 
tinuous worship  and  active  service  with  a  certain  body  of 
people  who  hold  special  and  peculiar  views  in  regard  to  forms 
of  church  government,  forms  of  religious  rites  and  ceremonies, 
the  parity  of  the  ministry,  Apostolic  succession  and  like  divisive 
questions.  They  are  deepened  by  repeated  recognition  and 
acceptance,  by  argument  in  their  defense,  by  efforts  at  their 
promulgation,  and  by  association  with  others  who  have  heartily 
accepted  them  and  are  eagerly  and  earnestly  seeking  their  pro- 
motion. Continued  and  consecutive  thought  along  the  line 
of  any  set  of  accepted  opinions,  with  corresponding  activity 
in  their  support,  will  naturally  give  them  a  strong  and 
tenacious  hold  upon  the  mind,  and  the  more  so  when  a  man's 
temperament  is  of  the  more  positive  and  aggressive  type. 

This  fact  in  human  nature  in  regard  to  the  formation  of 
religious  opinions  and  their  hold  upon  the  minds  of  men,  must 
be  fully  recognized  in  the  consideration  of  this  whole  subject 
and  in  the  making  of  any  efforts  toward  greater  unity.  The 
religious  opinions  of  many  devoted  Christians  in  all  the 
churches  are  very  thoroughly  fixed  and  have  a  tenacious  hold 
upon  their  minds  and  hearts,  and  it  will  be  very  difficult  for 
them  to  give  up  the  notions,  or  ideas,  which  have  kept  them 
separated  from  the  rest  of  their  fellow-christians.  They  think 
strongly  and  feelingly  on  any  subject  which  has  approved  it- 
self to  their  judgment,  and  are  very  much  indisposed  to  take 
up  anew  the  consideration  of  any  subject  which  has  already 
been  thoroughly  settled  in  their  minds.  Their  convictions  are 
so  deep  and  strong  that  it  will  take  a  forceful  appeal  to  rea- 
son and  the  power  of  logical  persuasion  to  produce  such  a 
modification  and  change  as  would  make  greater  unity  by  the 
uniting  of  separate  denominations  successful  and  effective. 

This  formation  of  opinion  on  religious  subjects  is  not  only 
natural  but  right.    Men  have  been  given  the  power  of  judg- 


Tenacity  of  Opinion 


115 


ment  by  an  all-wise  Creator  that  they  may  use  it  in  the  great 
field  of  religious  thought,  the  most  important  of  all  fields  to 
human  welfare  and  destiny,  and  their  truest  and  best  develop- 
ment depends  upon  the  right  use  of  this  power  of  judgment 
by  which  such  opinion  is  formed.  It  must  be  remembered, 
however,  that  religious  opinion  may  be  either  true  or  false,  right 
or  wrong,  good  or  evil.  And  still  further,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  many  religious  opinions  held  very  ardently  by  their 
possessors  and  advocates,  to  whom  they  no  doubt  seemed  to  be 
true,  right,  and  good,  have  proven  to  be  extremely  harmful 
and  injurious  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  Christ's  King- 
dom. This  fact  makes  the  formation,  adoption  and  mainte- 
nance of  religious  opinion  a  serious  and  responsible  thing.  If 
men's  opinions  are  rational  and  right  in  every  way  they  become 
very  useful  and  the  means  of  progress,  but  if  they  are  want- 
ing in  good  reason  and  are  false  and  wrong  in  regard  to  any 
vital  aspect  of  the  truth,  they  are  harmful  to  the  church's  work 
and  barriers  to  its  advancement. 

The  religious  opinions  of  very  many  of  us  belong  to  "  the 
tradition  of  the  elders,"  inasmuch  as  they  have  been  largely 
received  from  our  forbears  and  the  religious  teachers  of  our 
childhood  and  youth.  Our  bringing  up,  education,  and  train- 
ing have  made  us  the  heirs  of  those  who  have  gone  before. 
While  we  sometimes  may  thank  God  that  we  are  not  just 
like  them,  we  still  hold  on  to  enough  of  their  teaching  and 
ways  to  make  our  religious  life  and  activities  divisive  and 
separate.  While  we  may  think  them  to  have  been  too  stringent 
and  vigorous  in  the  upholding  and  defense  of  their  particular 
and  peculiar  views,  we  nevertheless  have  still  enough  of  con- 
fidence in  what  we  were  taught  to  uphold  and  propagate  in 
a  mild  and  modest  way  the  viewpoints  for  which  they  so 
earnestly  contended.  These  opinions  were  received  by  us  with- 
out much  question  or  examination ;  or,  if  we  were  not  fully 


ii6 


Barriers 


satisfied  with  all  the  views  of  preceding  generations  there  was 
so  much  of  their  belief  that  did  appeal  to  us,  that  we  accepted 
their  entire  dogma  as  a  whole  and  made  it  the  basis  of  our 
program  in  Christian  worship  and  service.  With  some  these 
traditions  are  fully  satisfactor}\  Their  mental  and  moral 
tendencies  and  characteristics  are  very  similar  to  those  of  their 
kindred  who  have  gone  before  and  left  them  their  heritage 
of  church  distinctions.  The  same  aspects  of  truth  and  forms 
of  worship  appeal  to  their  religious  aptitudes  and  they  find 
themselves  in  that  particular  group  of  believers  which  best 
satisfies  their  own  peculiar  bent  of  mind.  Indeed,  there  are 
very  many  of  us  upon  whom  these  traditions  coming  down 
from  past  generations  have  a  rather  strong  hold.  They  are 
very  much  like  sacred  heirlooms  and  cannot  be  thrust  aside 
with  a  wave  of  the  hand.  They  are  deeply  rooted  in  our  re- 
ligious thought  and  habits  and  will  not  be  readily  yielded  until 
it  has  been  fully  shown  that  larger,  better,  more  rational  and 
more  perfectly  Christian  ideas  of  church  life  and  relationships 
are  to  supersede  them.  In  many  cases  we  shall  have  to  be 
persuaded  that  some  other  interpretation  of  certain  words, 
phrases,  clauses  and  sentences  in  Scripture  may  be  as  true 
and  good  as  our  interpretation.  As  these  traditions  have  been 
intimately  associated  with  our  holiest  and  most  sacred  aims 
and  aspirations  in  religious  fellowship  and  service,  we  shall 
have  to  see  that  their  outgoing  will  not  touch  the  real  founda- 
tion of  our  faith  before  they  are  willingly  surrendered. 

Another  special  and  far-reaching  cause  for  the  tenacity  of 
opinion  in  religious  matters  is  self-conceit.  When  this  par- 
ticular quality  of  mind  gains  the  ascendency  in  a  man's  think- 
ing it  makes  him  very  much  disposed  to  regard  his  own  opinion 
as  much  better  than  those  of  other  men  and  to  hold  it  with 
special  firmness.  This  is  one  of  the  weaknesses  of  human 
nature  and  Christian  people  are  not  always  free  from  a  vain 


Tenacity  of  Opinion 


117 


conception  of  the  value  of  their  personal  opinions,  from  an 
overweening  confidence  in  respect  to  the  accuracy  of  their  per- 
sonal judgment  on  all  religious  questions.  Those  who  have 
this  weakness  are  wont  to  look  upon  their  own  particular  group 
as  the  special  embodiment  of  wisdom  and  honorable  distinction 
in  all  religious  matters. 

"  In  man  the  blunder  still  you  find 
All  think  their  little  set  mankind." 

It  is  a  very  common  failing  for  church  people  to  think  their 
church  the  very  best,  and  more  worthy  of  honor  and  support 
than  any  other  church,  and  there  are  those  who  teach  that 
they  ought  so  to  feel.  Why  so?  Is  such  a  feeling  the  best 
incentive,  or  even  a  good  incentive,  to  church  loyalt}'?  Is  it 
not  in  utter  "variance  with  the  beatitudes  and  the  spirit  and 
requirement  of  the  second  great  commandment?  The  root  ot 
such  a  feeling  is  selfishness  and  therefore  completely  out  of 
harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  gospel.  //  modest  and  rea- 
sonable respect  for  one's  church  is  appropriate  and  necessar}', 
but  a  conceited  view  of  its  superiority  is  vain  and  harmful. 
This  disposition  to  be  conceited  about  one's  personal  opinions, 
or  those  held  by  his  particular  sect,  has  ^  wrought  much  evil 
in  the  past.  It  has  been  one  cause  of  p>st  separations  and 
divisions  and  is  still  the  cause  of  continued  separation,  rivalry, 
and  keen  competition.  It  is  a  sinister  hindrance  to  the  cause 
of  unity  because  it  inflames  and  perverts  die  natural  tenacin* 
of  a  man's  mind  in  holding  to  his  old  opinions,  and  makes  it 
still  more  tenacious.  It  will  prevent  his  possession  of  an  open 
mind  in  regard  to  renewed  examination  and  consideration  of 
old  subjects,  and  shut  out  the  evidence  of  new  knowledge  and 
new  aspects  of  the  relative  importance  and  value  of  religious 
views,  opinions  and  conduct. 

Another  similar  and  still  greater  cause  for  a  perverse  tenacity 


ii8 


Ban-'iers 


of  opinion  is  pride,  personal  and  denominational.  While  con- 
ceit is  weakness,  folly,  moral  infirmity,  a  sign  of  degraded 
mental  power  and  an  evidence  of  unrighteousness  in  character, 
and  therefore  injurious  to  the  individual  and  to  the  church, 
pride  is  a  deeper  mark  of  human  depravity  and  of  the  more 
thorough  sinfulness  of  a  man's  nature  and  disposition,  what- 
ever his  relation  to  the  church  may  be.  Pride  is  an  unreason- 
able and  arrogant  assumption  of  superiority  in  judgment,  rea- 
son and  conviction,  and  when  applied  to  religious  affairs  is  not 
merely  unbecoming  but  heinously  wicked  and  sinful.  It  comes 
from  the  supercilious  over-valuation  of  a  man's  self  and  along 
with  this  a  want  of  a  due  sense  of  his  dependence  upon  Al- 
mighty God  for  all  that  he  is,  and  has,  and  hopes  to  be.  The 
perverse  nature  of  pride  as  an  element  in  human  character  is 
fully  shown  in  the  Scriptures  by  its  frequent  and  severe  con- 
demnation. It  is  the  first  mentioned  of  the  "  six  things " 
which  the  wise  man  testifies  that  "  God  hates,"  who  also  de- 
clares; "  Every  one  that  is  proud  in  heart  is  an  abomina- 
tion to  the  Lord."  The  Psalmist  exclaims:  "The  Lord 
.  .  .  plentifully  rewardeth  the  proud  doer."  Isaiah  saw  its 
perversity  when  he  wrote,  "  He  bringeth  down  them  that 
dwell  on  high ;  the  lofty  city,  he  layeth  it  low ;  he  layeth 
it  low  even  to  the  ground ;  he  bringeth  it  even  to  the  dust  " 
(Isa.  26:5).  Jeremiah  fully  realized  its  evil  nature  when 
he  wrote:  "After  this  manner  will  I  mar  the  pride  of 
Judah,  and  the  great  pride  of  Jerusalem.  Hear  ye,  and 
give  ear;  be  not  proud:  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken.  But  if 
ye  will  not  hear  it,  my  soul  shall  weep  in  secret  places  for 
your  pride:  and  mine  eye  shall  weep  sore,  and  run  down 
with  tears,  because  the  Lord's  flock  is  carried  away  captive  " 
(Jer.  13:9-15).  Many  writers  of  our  English  classics 
have  portrayed  its  evil  nature.  Addison  says,  "  There  is  no 
passion  which  steals  into  the  heart  more  imperceptibly,  and 


Tenacity  of  Opinion 


119 


covers  itself  under  more  disguises,  than  pride."  Bailey 
marks  it  as  a  great  defect  in  human  nature  when  it  can  be 
said  of  a  man  that  he  is  "  as  proud  as  Lucifer."  Coleridge 
shows  his  recognition  of  its  source  when  he  writes: 

"  And  the  Devil  did  grin,  for  his  darling  sin 
Is  pride  that  apes  humility." 

Wentw^orth  Dillon  shows  his  apprehension  of  its  danger- 
ous nature  and  influence  when  he  writes: 

"  Pride  (of  all  others  the  most  dangerous  fault) 
Proceeds  from  want  of  sense,  or  want  of  thought." 

Pope  shows  his  perception  of  its  degrading  and  debasing 
influence  upon  men's  nobler  faculties  in  the  lines: 

"  What  the  weak  head  with  strongest  bias  rules 
Is  Pride  the  never-failing  vice  of  fools." 

John  Ruskin  points  out  its  far-reaching  influences  when  he 
says:  "  In  general,  pride  is  at  the  bottom  of  all  great  mis- 
takes." 

Thus  the  pernicious  influence  of  this  evil  has  been  por- 
trayed in  the  Scriptures  and  by  well-known  writers  of  the 
past,  and  thus  it  is  continually  being  portrayed  by  the  best 
writers,  speakers,  and  teachers  of  ethics  in  the  present.  It 
is  an  evil  to  be  feared,  shunned,  dreaded,  forsaken.  It  is 
a  very  dangerous  malady  since  it  supplants  that  worthy  con- 
fidence in  one's  own  opinions  which  springs  from  the  con- 
sciousness of  rectitude  in  forming  and  holding  these  opinions 
and  of  their  efficacy  in  meeting  the  demands  of  one's  religious 
life,  and  puts  in  the  place  of  such  worthy  confidence  an  ig- 
noble, degrading,  and  ruinous  state  of  mind  and  heart.  It  is 
a  very  ugly  deformity  of  mind  when  seen  in  others,  but  too 


I20 


Barriers 


often  blinds  its  possessor  to  any  realization  of  its  presence 
and  hold  upon  his  thought  and  action,  and  frequently  makes 
him  think  he  has  an  excellent  virtue  instead  of  a  harmful 
vice. 

Even  many  eminent  and  worthy  Christian  men  have  been 
sadly  affected  with  this  malady.  They  were  good  and  noble 
men  in  very  many  respects  and  yet  they  were  much  affected 
with  an  overweening  confidence  in  the  correctness  of  their 
own  opinions  on  certain  religious  subjects.  They  were  exceed- 
ingly sure  that  their  judgment  was  almost,  if  not  altogether 
infallible,  and  were  unwilling  to  concede  to  others  an  equal 
power  of  judgment  or  an  equal  value  of  opinion.  Their 
overmastering  self-esteem  made  them  inconsiderate  of  the 
rights  of  others,  contentious  in  the  field  of  controversy,  more 
tenacious  in  holding  to  their  own  peculiar  views  and  those 
of  their  own  particular  sect,  and  more  determined  on  the  propa- 
gation and  perpetuation  of  these  views.  Thus  it  was  in 
former  years  not  long  gone  by,  and  thus  to  a  modified  degree 
it  still  is  in  the  minds  of  those  strong  sectarians  who  think  all 
the  world  wrong  except  themselves  in  face  of  the  spirit  of 
liberality  which  has  grown  so  rapidly  these  later  years. 

Good  Christian  men  and  women  arc  sometimes  proud  not 
only  of  their  opinions  and  those  of  their  particular  sect,  but 
also  of  the  history  and  achievements  of  their  denomination. 
With  these  no  church  has  had  such  a  wonderful  history  and 
wrought  such  mighty  achievements  as  their  church.  It  is  "  the 
biggest  church,"  or  '*  the  most  orthodox  church,"  or  "  the  best 
Spirit-filled  church,"  or  "  the  most  missionary  church,"  or  "  the 
most  influential  church,"  or  "  the  most  popular  church,"  in 
the  whole  city,  community,  nation,  world.  That  pride  of 
opinion,  which  was  one  great  cause  of  past  divisions  and  sepa- 
rations, will  remain  the  cause  of  continued  separation  and  con- 
flict so  long  as  it  is  cherished  and  allowed  to  sway  the  minds 


Tenacity  of  Opinion 


121 


of  Christian  men  in  their  religious  activities.  It  will  be  a 
great  barrier,  not  only  to  the  cause  of  unity  but  especially  to  the 
cause  of  Christianity  and  the  fulfillment  of  the  church's  mis- 
sion in  the  world. 

As  an  antidote  against  this  treacherous  and  pernicious  evil 
it  is  well  for  us  to  remember  that  religious  opinion  is  a  very 
different  thing  from  Christian  faith.  While  it  is  true  that 
opinion  is  closely  related  to  faith  and  is  necessary  to  its  ex- 
istence, it  does  not  insure  the  possession  of  faith.  There  are 
multitudes  who  have  opinion  on  religious  matters,  but  are 
wanting  in  the  possession  of  a  real  belief  in  the  fundamental 
truths  of  Christianity.  They  are  often  very  orthodox  in  re- 
gard to  certain  religious  doctrines  and  practices,  but  show  no 
special  love  for  Christ  and  no  earnest  spirit  of  obedience  to  His 
will.  Sometimes  men  who  are  very  far  from  the  Kingdom 
of  God,  as  shown  by  their  daily  conduct,  are  nevertheless  very 
rigid  in  some  of  their  religious  opinions.  iVIen  of  this  gen- 
eral character  within  the  church  often  become  earnest  "  de- 
fenders of  the  faith,"  in  support  of  what  is  to  them  merely  an 
opinion,  however  strongly  they  may  hold  it.  It  was  of  such 
that  the  late  C.  H.  Spurgeon  spoke  when  he  said: 

"Another  very  numerous  class  have  opinion  but  not  faith: 
creed  but  not  credence.  We  meet  them  everywhere.  How 
zealous  they  are  for  Protestantism !  They  would  not  only  die 
for  orthodoxy,  but  kill  others  as  well.  Perhaps  it  is  the  Cal- 
vinistic  doctrine  which  they  have  received ;  and  then  the  five 
points  are  as  dear  to  them  as  their  five  senses.  These  men  will 
contend,  not  to  say  earnestly,  but  savagely,  for  the  faith.  They 
very  vehemently  denounce  all  those  who  differ  from  them  in 
the  smallest  degree,  and  deal  damnation  round  the  land  with 
amazing  liberality  to  all  who  are  not  full  weight  according 
to  their  little  Zoar,  Rehoboth,  Jireh ;  while  all  the  while  the 
spirit  of  Christ,  the  love  of  the  Spirit,  bowels  of  compassion. 


122 


Barriers 


and  holiness  of  character  are  no  more  to  be  expected  from  them 
than  grapes  from  thorns,  or  figs  from  thistles."  (Sermons, 
Vol.  VIII,  p.  171.) 

Another  antidote  against  pride  of  opinion  and  the  tenacity 
which  it  produces  is  the  fact  that  opinion  is  also  a  very  dif- 
ferent thing  from  pure  and  positive  knowledge  on  religion  or 
any  other  subject.  This  fact  ought  to  be,  and  is  sure  to  be,  a 
very  effective  antidote,  when  its  meaning  and  significance  are 
fully  realized  by  Christian  men.  Opinion  is  a  mere  conclu- 
sion or  judgment  drawn  from  known  or  supposed  facts  rang- 
ing from  a  high  degree  of  probability  down  to  the  merest  con- 
jecture. Its  degree  of  probability  depends  upon  the  applica- 
tion of  pure  reason,  unalloyed  by  prejudice  or  passion,  to  the 
greatest  possible  array  of  facts  concerning  which  it  is  a  con- 
clusion or  a  judgment.  The  two  things  that  specially  affect 
its  probability  are  the  range  and  number  of  facts  and  the  ab- 
sence of  all  passion  entering  into  it.  When  the  array  of  facts 
have  been  full  and  complete  and  there  has  been  freedom  from 
all  sinister  emotions  men  have  great  reason  to  have  strong 
confidence  in  their  opinions,  but  when  the  facts  have  been  few 
and  of  very  limited  range  and  the  sway  of  passion  has  been 
free,  opinion  becomes  a  mere  prejudice,  or  a  conjecture,  and 
is  not  to  be  trusted,  accepted,  or  followed. 

The  divisive  standards  and  practices  of  all  the  different  de- 
nominations are  matters  of  opinion  and  cannot  be  classed  as 
having  certitude  and  as  things  of  positive  knowledge.  Much 
that  passes  for  certain  knowledge  in  the  field  of  religion  as  well 
as  elsewhere,  are  merely  matters  of  opinion  with  more  or  less 
of  probability  in  them.  Positive  knowledge  of  any  kind  is 
very  limited,  while  the  knowledge  of  things  that  are  probable 
may  be  very  wide,  extensive  and  possessed  with  much  con- 
fidence. But  the  facts  which  give  strong  probability  are  so 
many  and  so  varied,  and  the  liability  of  some  sinister  passion 


Tenacity  of  Opinion 


123 


is  so  great,  that  it  well  becomes  erring  human  nature  to  hold 
religious  opinion  with  modesty  and  to  recognize  it  as  probable 
rather  than  positive  truth.  In  all  religious  controversy  the 
appeal  always  should  be  made  to  reason  and  not  to  prejudice 
or  passion,  as  it  too  often  has  been  done.  Christianity,  itself, 
is  an  appeal  to  reason,  and  so  ought  to  be  regarded  every  ques- 
tion concerning  its  propagation.  If  rigid  sectarians  would 
only  realize  how  deeply  the  question  of  probability  was  in- 
volved in  their  peculiar  and  particular  views,  they  would  not 
be  so  persistent  as  they  sometimes  are  in  holding  them,  nor 
so  eager  in  their  propagation.  The  highest  claim  that  can  be 
made  for  them  is  a  moderate  degree  of  probability  that  they 
are  true,  and  this  claim  needs  to  be  substantiated  by  such  facts 
as  pure  reason  is  willing  to  accept  in  its  favor.  A  high  degree 
of  probability  cannot  be  claimed  for  such  opinions,  because  they 
have  always  been  formed,  and  continue  to  be  formed,  under 
such  conditions  as  make  their  probability  of  comparably  little 
\  alue.  Pure  reason  and  complete  knowledge  of  all  necessary 
facts  have  never  held  sway  in  the  formation  of  such  views, 
but  on  the  other  hand  pride,  prejudice  and  passion  have  had 
much  to  do  with  their  formation,  propagation,  and  perpetua- 
tion. Besides  such  views  have  fallen  far  short  in  gaining  the 
approval  and  support  of  universal  reason,  to  which  their  ad- 
vocates made  their  appeal.  Only  a  part  of  Christendom,  and 
generally  a  very  small  part,  has  as  yet  accepted  any  one  of 
these  distinctive  views,  so  that  every  one  of  them  is  far  from 
being  acceptable  to  universal  reason. 

As  soon  as  Christian  men  begin  to  realize  that  religious 
opinion  is  not  an  index  of  true  faith,  or  of  pure  reason,  and 
that  it  lies  along  the  line  of  probability  rather  than  of  posi- 
tive knowledge,  their  dogmatism  begins  to  subside  and  they 
become  willing  to  concede  to  others  the  right  to  form  and 
hold  opinions  different  from  theirs  on  the  same  questions  on 


124 


Barriers 


which  theirs  are  held,  and  to  have  respect  for  such  opinions. 
When  such  facts  as  these  take  a  deep  grip  upon  men's  minds, 
they  become  willing  to  re-examine  the  grounds  of  their  own 
opinions,  and  to  confer  with  those  holding  different  views 
upon  the  same  questions  with  reference  to  the  reconciliation 
of  their  differences  and  the  harmonization  of  their  views.  It 
is  a  hopeful  sign  of  the  breaking  of  this  barrier  to  the  cause 
of  unity  to  see  many  churchmen  anxious  to  get  the  view- 
point of  others  who  differ  from  them  that  they  may  examine 
all  with  reference  to  reconciliation  and  the  establishment  of 
harmony  among  them.  It  is  surely  fitting  that  the  appeal 
to  reason,  pure  and  unalloyed,  should  be  both  insistent  and 
persistent  in  a  field  where  the  probabilities  in  their  favor  are 
no  greater  than  they  are  in  the  field  of  divisive  denominational 
standards,  which  by  no  manner  of  means  are  to  be  classed 
among  the  certainties  of  the  Christian  religion.  Even  in  the 
case  of  those  who  may  boastfully  claim  to  be  "  led  of  the 
Spirit  "  the  high  place  of  reason  must  be  in  evidence,  since 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  spirit  of  wisdom  and  of  truth,  and  there- 
fore does  not  lead  men  to  adopt  and  maintain  opinions  which 
pure  reason  will  not  justify.  Where  the  Holy  Spirit  truly 
leads,  human  reason  is  made  more  perfect,  the  probability  of 
men's  opinions  becomes  more  certain,  and  the  appeal  to  uni- 
versal reason  more  powerful  and  effective. 

Jesus  wants  His  followers  to  reason  out  thoroughly  and 
rightly  the  problems  of  their  religious  lives  so  as  to  be  helpers 
to  each  other  rather  than  rivals  and  opponents.  When  they 
have  seen  the  folly  and  harmfulness  of  their  conceit  and 
pride  and  fully  set  aside  these  evil  dispositions,  and  with  pure 
emotion  and  copious  information  begin  to  reason  justly  and 
fairly  on  all  religious  questions,  their  tenacity  of  opinion 
on  distinctive  doctrines  soon  gives  way,  and  they  are  ready 


Tenacity  of  Opinion 


125 


easily  to  be  harmonized  with  others  whose  reason  has  brought 
them  different  views.  They  realize  that  such  opinions  must 
be  held  as  are  merely  probable  and  tentative,  rather  than 
as  positive  and  certain. 


UNREASONABLE  ATTACHMENTS 


CHRISTIAN  people  naturally  form  strong  attachments 
for  the  church  with  which  they  have  been  happily  as- 
sociated and  whose  people  and  institutions  they  have  learned 
to  appreciate.  They  have  found  the  people  of  their  church 
to  be  helpful  in  the  stimulation  of  the  better  elements  of 
their  nature  and  the  worship  and  activities  of  the  church  to 
be  the  source  of  great  good  to  them  in  the  moral  and  spiritual 
aspect  of  their  lives.  They  have  seen  that  the  church  has 
much  influence  in  the  development  of  such  ideals  as  are  of  in- 
finite value  in  advancing  the  welfare  of  the  individual  and 
of  society  in  all  its  varied  aspects.  They  have  learned  to  ap- 
preciate the  value  of  an  institution  which  is  doing  so  much 
for  the  uplift  and  well  being  of  mankind,  and  been  led  to  give 
to  it  their  best  thought  and  most  consecrated  efforts.  They 
have  come  to  admire  the  forms  of  worship  with  which  they 
have  become  familiar,  the  methods  of  instruction  to  which  they 
have  been  used,  the  sj'Stem  of  administration  with  which  they 
are  acquainted,  and  the  special  type  of  Christian  manhood  and 
womanhood  with  which  they  have  been  surrounded,  and  a 
special  attachment  has  grown  up  for  that  in  their  religious 
experiences  whicli  is  most  in  harmony  with  their  individual 
tastes,  and  habits  of  thought  and  feeling. 

These  strong  attachments  began  to  be  developed  in  the 
days  of  childhood,  when  under  the  influence  and  guidance 
of  wise  and  devoted  workers  in  all  the  varied  forms  of  church 
activity  their  tender  hearts  were  filled  with  such  emotions 
as  bound  them  to  the  church  as  to  a  friend  and  benefactor. 
These  attachments  grew  stronger  with  their  growth  to  man-  • 

126 


Unreasonable  Attachments 


127 


hood  and  womanhood  as  their  emotional  nature  was  more  and 
more  unfolded  under  the  benign  influence  of  religious  associa- 
tions and  activities.  These  attachments  reached  high  points 
of  vigor  and  firmness  in  the  midst  of  the  fellowships  and  ac- 
tivities which  characterized  the  days  of  life's  maturity  and 
strength,  and  in  the  advancing  years  of  life  they  remain  as 
a  comfortable  and  enjoyable  estate  from  earlier  efforts  and 
investments.  They  are  therefore  to  be  found  in  every  period 
of  life,  but  naturally  stronger  and  more  firmly  fixed  in  the 
days  of  vigorous  strength  and  more  advancing  years. 

These  attachments  for  the  church  are  the  natural  and 
legitimate  result  of  its  work.  It  is  the  special  province  of 
the  church  to  awaken,  stimulate,  and  strengthen,  all  worthy 
and  good  emotions,  and  thus  to  develop  those  elements  of 
character  which  make  men  noble  and  most  useful  in  the 
world.  This  work  of  the  church  is  a  very  delicate  and  diffi- 
cult one,  but  a  most  vital,  valuable,  and  important  one.  Good 
emotions  of  every  kind  must  be  aroused,  encouraged,  helped 
toward  perfection  in  order  that  a  true  Christian  life  may  be 
unfolded  and  realized  on  the  part  of  those  enjoying  the 
church's  opportunities  and  advantages.  The  church  makes  a 
special  effort  to  reach  the  heart  as  the  great  motive  power 
in  life's  activities  that  the  influence  of  right  emotions  may 
rule  in  these  activities.  It  seeks  to  get  men  right  in  heart 
with  God  and  with  their  fellowmen  knowing  that  "  out  of 
it  are  the  issues  of  life."  It  realizes  that  unless  the  heart 
is  reached  and  moved  to  right  action  its  work  is  in  vain. 
Truth  in  the  understanding  has  very  little  value  until  right 
emotions  have  taken  hold  of  it,  modified  and  moulded  it,  and 
through  their  impelling  power  transmuted  it  into  the  activities 
of  life.  Knowledge  of  the  right,  which  is  merely  in  the  mind, 
is  unproductive,  until  the  good  affections  of  the  heart  trans- 
form it  into  action.    Unless  the  heart  is  moved  the  good  seed 


128 


Barriers 


will  fall  on  barren  soil.  Realizing  all  this  the  church  strives 
earnestly  to  gain  such  control  and  guidance  of  the  emotions 
of  men  as  will  make  the  truth  effective  in  their  lives,  and 
its  success  in  doing  so,  though  limited  and  imperfect,  has  been 
the  means  of  doing  infinite  good  in  the  world.  As  the  natural 
result  of  its  work  in  the  development  of  men's  emotional 
nature  it  secures  a  high  degree  of  attachment  to  itself. 

Strong  affection  for  the  church  is  right.  It  is  so  because 
of  its  origin  and  the  love  that  provided  and  bestowed  it  upon 
men  as  the  means  of  bringing  them  God's  great  salvation.  It 
is  so  because  it  is  an  institution  whose  work  is  most  beneficial 
in  every  way  to  the  welfare  of  humanity  and  one  whose  pos- 
sibilities for  good  to  every  other  social  institution  in  the  world 
are  unlimited.  It  is  so  because  of  the  great  number  of  per- 
sonal blessings  which  the  church  brings  to  every  Christian. 
It  has  taught  him  all  he  knows  of  religious  truth,  awakened 
every  worthy  and  noble  aspiration  of  which  he  has  ever  been 
possessed,  and  has  stimulated  and  strengthened  all  the  good 
purposes  with  which  his  life  has  been  filled.  It  has  been  both 
the  instrument  by  which  all  the  valuable  qualities  of  his  re- 
ligious life  has  been  developed,  and  the  appropriate  channel 
by  which  that  life  has  been  expressed.  All  that  he  is  in 
Christian  character,  or  shall  become,  is  due  to  its  agency. 
He  can  do  nothing  less,  as  one  possessed  of  a  true  Christian 
manhood,  than  have  for  it  a  strong  attachment. 

Naturally  this  attachment  will  be  felt  first  for  the  particular 
congregation  of  which  he  is  a  member.  This  congregation 
provides  the  Christian  people  with  whom  he  is  intimately 
associated  in  religious  worship  and  activities  and  whose  fel- 
lowship bring  to  him  spiritual  help,  comfort,  pleasure,  joy. 
His  higher  and  nobler  emotions  toward  them  are  awakened 
and  nurtured  by  the  good  he  sees  in  them  and  the  special  bene- 
fits which  come  to  him  through  their  fellowship.    The  in- 


Unreasonable  Attachments 


129 


timacy  of  his  intercourse  with  them  together  with  his  faith 
in  the  sincerity  of  their  character  and  motives  insures  the 
formation  and  development  of  strong  attachments.    This  at- 
tachment for  his  own  congregation  is  readily  extended  to  other 
congregations,  or  groups  of  congregations,  of  the  same  de- 
nomination, and  then  to  the  denomination  as  a  whole,  as  he 
becomes  better  acquainted  with  the  people  and  the  activities 
of  the  particular  denomination  to  which  he  belongs.  Church 
courts  and  other  denominational  assemblies  furnish  opportuni- 
ties for  the  promotion  and  enlargement  of  such  attachments 
and  church  literature  is  an  efYective  agency  by  which  they  are 
fostered  and  strengthened.    This  attachment  for  the  church 
is  still  further  broadened  when  it  is  so  extended  as  to  in- 
clude the  whole  church  of  Jesus  Christ  as  one  body,  and  that 
one  body  is  seen  to  be  God's  chosen  instrument  for  bringing 
to  men  his  great  salvation  and  for  the  building  up  of  His 
Kingdom  in  the  world.    Such  love  and  attachment  are  the  re- 
sult of  a  large  vision  of  the  church's  mission,  of  the  incom- 
prehensible importance  of  its  work,  of  its  unlimited  possibilities 
for  good  in  the  world,  and  of  the  innumerable  blessings  it  can 
secure  for  men.    It  is  a  much  greater  thing  to  love  the  church 
as  a  divine  institution  related  to  all  men  and  for  their  benefit, 
than  to  love  it  as  an  institution  whose  personal  benefits  are 
the  special  cause  of  its  appreciation.    Love  for  the  church 
as  an  institution  designed  by  Jesus  Christ  for  the  good  of 
mankind  and  adapted  to  their  need  is  sure  to  be  intense  and 
strong  as  the  vision  of  the  Church's  mission,  work,  and  pos- 
sibilities in  relation  to  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  is  clearly  seen 
and  appreciated  in  the  light  of  the  Scriptures  and  by  the 
agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.    This  love  is  more  ideal,  more 
Christ-like,  more  perfect  than  any  such  narrower  affections 
as  may  relate  to  any  individual  congregation,  or  to  any  par- 
ticular denomination,  though  love  for  these  is  good  and  right 


I30 


Barriers 


when  held  in  proper  balance  and  recognized  as  steps  of  progress 
toward  a  greater  and  more  perfect  love. 

Just  here  is  where  the  danger  and  the  difficulty  lie.  The 
danger  is  that  of  losing  the  necessary  and  proper  balance  in 
the  control  and  right  exercise  of  these  different  affections, 
and  the  difficulty  is  to  know  just  where  this  balance  lies  and 
how  to  restore  it  when  it  is  lost.  All  right  and  useful  emo- 
tions are  rational  as  well.  Their  character,  strength,  and  rela- 
tive consequence  are  under  the  domain  of  reason  whose  throne 
is  the  last  court  of  appeal  in  regard  to  their  nature,  value,  and 
importance.  Many  emotions  that  are  right  and  rational  in 
themselves  become  wrong  and  unreasonable  through  mistaken 
and  injurious  emphasis  and  application.  Many  a  strong  af- 
fection, or  attachment,  has  been  ruinous  to  the  character  and 
reputation  of  its  possessor  and  harmful  to  the  welfare  of  others 
because  reason  did  not  rule  in  its  limitation  and  indulgence. 
Many  a  person  has  been  judged  insane  because  he  had  gone 
wrong  in  his  affections.  Most  of  us  are  more  or  less  insane, 
since  every  form  of  sin  is  insanity,  because  we  have  all  more 
or  less  gone  wrong  in  the  exercise  and  indulgence  of  some 
of  our  affections.  Every  one  of  us  is  liable  to  be  unreason- 
able to  some  degree  and  consequently  wrong  in  the  relative 
strength  and  manifestation  of  our  attachments.  We  fail  to 
reason  rightly  because  we  fail  to  look  broadly  at  all  the  in- 
terests involved  and  to  distinguish  the  things  that  are  greater 
from  the  things  that  are  less. 

While  therefore  it  is  reasonable  and  right  to  have  a  strong 
attachment  for  the  church  whose  influence  and  fellowship  we 
first  learned  to  enjoy,  such  attachment  has  its  reasonable  limita- 
tions and  should  not  hinder  or  prevent  our  broader,  more 
ideal,  and  more  perfect  attachments.  And  likewise,  while  it 
is  reasonable  and  right  to  have  a  strong  attachment  for  the 
denomination  whose  fellowship  and  activities  have  been  to  us 


Unreasonable  Attachments 


131 


a  great  blessing,  such  attachment  has  its  reasonable  limita- 
tions and  should  not  hinder  or  prevent  our  broader,  more  ideal, 
and  more  perfect  attachment  to  the  whole  body  of  believers  in 
Christ  as  represented  by  all  denominations.  Such  narrower 
attachments  become  unreasonable  and  wrong  when  they  usurp 
the  place  that  properly  belongs  to  those  that  are  greater  and 
nobler. 

A  good  illustration  of  this  is  seen  in  patriotism.  It  is  ra- 
tional and  right  for  every  citizen  to  have  a  strong  attachment 
for  his  own  town  or  community,  but  this  attachment  ought 
not  to  interfere  with  a  similar  affection  for  his  county,  state, 
and  nation.  The  love  of  one's  country  as  a  whole  is  broader, 
greater,  and  nobler  than  the  love  of  one's  state,  county,  and 
town  or  community,  and  a  patriotism  that  embraces  all  human- 
ity and  is  ready  to  make  the  greatest  possible  sacrifices  for  its 
welfare  is  the  most  ideal  and  the  noblest  and  the  best.  This 
is  the  kind  of  patriotism  our  country  needs  and  is  calling 
for  to-day,  and  this  is  the  kind  that  is  being  shown  by  multi- 
tudes of  loyal  citizens  who  are  making  the  greatest  sacrifices  in 
support  of  its  cause.  Such  love  of  country  is  most  reasonable 
and  right.  In  like  manner  the  whole  church  of  Christ  as 
an  ideal  institution  of  heavenly  birth  needs  the  loyalty  and 
devotion  of  Christian  men  and  women  with  broad  vision 
and  strong  affection  for  the  wider  and  greater  interests  of 
Christ's  Kingdom  and  for  the  highest  welfare  of  all  mankind, 
and  to-day  there  are  many  in  all  the  churches  in  whom  this 
broader  and  more  perfect  loyalty  is  becoming  more  and  more 
the  ruling  passion  in  their  devotion  to  the  Kingdom  of  Christ. 
This  greater  and  more  perfect  loyalty  is  both  reasonable  and 
right. 

Growth  in  the  reach  and  range  of  the  affections,  as  well 
as  in  their  intensity,  is  the  law  of  human  development  in  the 
sphere  of  the  religious  life  as  well  as  elsewhere.    At  first  the 


132 


Barriers 


reach  and  range  of  these  affections  is  narrow  and  limited  and 
their  intensity  varied  and  uncertain,  but  in  the  natural  order 
of  the  divine  plan  in  human  development  they  become  more 
and  more  comprehensive  as  well  as  intensive  and  more  and 
more  sure  and  steadfast.  Such  progress  is  imperative.  There 
is  no  such  thing  as  standing  still.  The  proper  growth  of  the 
emotions  is  just  as  essential  and  necessary  as  growth  in  the 
possession  of  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  and  is  a  very  vital 
part  of  such  growth.  Here  as  in  every  other  phase  of  life  un- 
less there  is  progress  there  is  retrogression,  and  retrogression 
in  the  religious  life  is  backsliding,  the  road  to  apostasy,  a  way 
of  evil.  It  is  therefore  most  reasonable  as  well  as  right  that 
the  proper  steps  of  progress  from  the  lower  form  and  scope  of 
the  emotions  to  the  higher  and  broader  should  be  taken.  It 
is  reasonable  that  the  less  should  be  modified  and  moulded  by 
the  greater,  the  good  and  the  better  by  the  best,  the  perfect 
and  more  perfect  by  the  most  perfect.  If  the  good,  as  has 
been  often  claimed,  is  the  enemy  of  the  best,  anything  less  than 
the  best  is  unreasonable. 

All  such  attachments  as  check  and  prevent  our  manysided 
development  as  the  followers  of  Christ  must  be  classed  as  un- 
reasonable, and  some  of  them  as  very  heinously  so.  They  are 
directly  contrary  to  reason's  urgent  appeal  to  us  to  make  the 
most  of  all  the  powers  which  God  has  given  us.  He  has  given 
us  the  power  to  form  attachments  and  marked  the  way  and 
by  what  steps  our  progress  in  emotional  development  is  to  be 
made.  As  it  is  the  part  of  reason  to  lead  us  in  the  steps  of 
progress,  it  shows  the  want  of  reason  to  I'ail  in  taking  these 
steps  and  in  thus  securing  the  attainment,  or  perfection,  to 
which  they  lead.  Through  such  failure  we  become  warped  and 
lop-sided  in  our  moral  nature.  We  permit  one  attachment  to 
usurp  and  hold  the  place  that  rightly  belongs  to  another  and  a 
greater.    We  limit  the  range  of  our  personal  development  and 


Unreasonable  Attachments 


133 


in  doing  so  sin  against  our  highest  manhood.  We  do  evil  to 
our  own  higher  and  better  nature  by  failing  to  gain  for  our- 
selves that  nobility  of  heart  which  was  possible  for  us  to  gain. 
We  act  unreasonably  and  sin  against  our  own  souls  when  we 
permit  any  attachment,  however  good  it  may  be  within  its 
proper  sphere,  to  prevent  us  from  attaining  a  well-rounded 
Christian  character. 

Again,  all  such  attachments  as  hinder  the  proper  spiritual 
growth  and  development  of  others  are  unreasonable  and  wrong. 
Reason  and  the  Scriptures  alike  teach  us  that  we  should  be  con- 
cerned for  the  welfare  of  our  neighbor,  and  are  responsible  for 
the  kind  of  influence  we  exercise  upon  his  life.  It  is  possible 
that  by  our  example  and  vigorous  manifestation  of  some  at- 
tachment that  is  narrow  and  one-sided  we  may  lead  a  brother 
to  become  narrowed  and  warped  in  the  reach  of  his  emotions 
and  that  thus  we  shall  become  blind  leaders  of  the  blind.  In 
all  that  we  are  and  do  we  ought  to  have  regard  for  others. 
"  For  none  liveth  to  himself  and  none  dieth  to  himself  "  (Rom. 
14:  7).  Honesty  in  leading  others  astray  is  no  excuse  for  the 
evil  that  is  done.  Their  imperfections  and  incomplete  or  ar- 
rested development  will  be  just  the  same  as  though  we  in- 
tended it.  If  we  had  reasoned  better  we  might  have  escaped 
the  guilt  of  a  wrong  influence  upon  a  neighbor  and  a  friend. 
But  we  have  been  the  cause  of  more  or  less  stumbling  on  the 
part  of  others  because  some  form  of  pride,  prejudice,  and  pas- 
sion have  put  their  taint  upon  our  church  attachments. 

Still  further,  all  such  attachments  as  hinder  the  welfare  of 
the  church  are  unreasonable  and  wrong.  They  are  so  because 
the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  product  of  the  highest  reason, 
the  gift  of  infinite  love,  adapted  to  the  end  for  which  it  was 
created,  and  full  of  the  greatest  possibilities  of  good  for  men 
singly  and  socially.  To  interfere  in  any  way  and  to  any  de- 
gree with  its  progress  and  prosperity  is  to  manifest  an  errancy 


134 


Barriers 


of  reasoning  power  and  to  establish  a  state  of  guilt  before  its 
Author  and  Founder.  Perhaps  the  greatest  vision  ever 
wrought  into  the  mind  of  any  Christian  by  the  agency  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  his  vision  of  the  universal  church,  and  to  limit 
and  restrain  this  vision  is  to  sin  against  that  inner  light  that 
comes  from  above.  Any  attachment  which  restricts  and  nar- 
rows this  vision  is  contrary  to  the  deductions  and  requirements 
of  pure  reason.  It  is  ours  always  to  remember  that  the  in- 
terests and  welfare  of  the  church  at  large  are  greater  and  in- 
finitely more  important  than  our  personal  comfort  and  enjoy- 
ment, or  the  prosperity  of  our  peculiar  sect.  In  placing  undue 
emphasis  upon  our  own,  our  minds  become  biased  and  we  make 
ourselves  incapable  of  judging  on  the  great  questions  which 
most  affect  the  interest  of  Christ's  Kingdom  and  the  well-being 
of  humanity. 

Unreasonable  attachments  are  liable  to  appear  in  relation  to 
forms  of  worship,  forms  of  religious  rites  and  ceremonies,  and 
systems  of  administration.  How  prone  we  seem  to  be  to  forget 
that  the  form  of  anything  is  a  very  different  thing  from  its 
essence,  and  to  fasten  our  affections  upon  the  form  as  much 
or  more  than  upon  the  substance,  which  is  the  real  and  es- 
sential thing!  We  see  the  form  and  are  attracted  to  it,  while 
we  fail  to  realize  and  appreciate  the  value  of  the  substance 
which  it  contains,  or  else  in  our  thinking  confound  two  things 
which  are  quite  different.  Forms  of  worship,  of  rites,  and  of 
government  are  the  vessels  in  which  are  brought  to  us  the 
water  of  life  and  this  water  may  be  just  as  satisfying  and 
healthful  in  one  form  of  vessel  as  another,  until  we  have  con- 
structed in  our  minds  a  prejudice  for  some  certain  form  of 
vessel.  So  long  as  multitudes  of  other  Christians  are  quaffing 
this  water  and  finding  its  satisfying  draughts  from  vessels  of 
some  other  form  than  the  one  for  which  we  have  formed  a 
strong  attachment,  it  is  unreasonable  to  contend  that  our  ves- 


Unreasonable  Attachments 


135 


sel  is  the  only  right  one  to  be  used.  The  Scriptures  clearly  in- 
dicate that  different  forms  are  acceptable  to  God  and  leave 
it  largely  to  the  occasion,  circumstance,  time,  or  age,  to  deter- 
mine what  form  shall  be  employed,  but  they  make  it  very  clear 
that  the  spirit,  w^hich  is  the  substance,  must  be  right  in  quality 
and  condition.  The  essence  of  all  acceptable  worship,  and  of 
all  rites,  is  the  faith  and  love  which  fills  the  heart  and  makes 
it  right  toward  God  and  man,  and  these  can  be  fittingly  ex- 
pressed in  any  form  which  any  body  of  reasonable  and  de- 
voted Christian  people  find  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Scriptures  and  which  has  proved  acceptable  to  God 
in  other  g°nerations.  One  form  may  be  more  convenient  and 
suitable  at  one  time  and  under  certain  conditions  than  another 
and  a  change  of  time  and  circumstances  may  reverse  the  order, 
while  either  would  be  a  fit  expression  at  any  time  of  the  reality 
of  worship. 

These  things  arc  worthy  of  our  serious  thought.  They  touch 
the  lowest  depths  of  our  religious  lives.  These  attachments 
for  the  church  are  associated  with  our  noblest  and  best  emo- 
tions and  related  to  the  deepest  religious  experiences  through 
which  it  has  been  our  privilege  to  pass,  and  they  have  been 
connected  with  our  most  earnest  and  energetic  efforts  for  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  It  is  hard  for  us  to  see  that  any  of  them 
may  be  unreasonable  and  wrong,  and  when  persuaded  that  they 
may  be  so,  it  still  is  often  hard  to  give  them  up.  They  are 
very  much  like  our  attachments  for  the  old  home,  whose  sacred 
memories,  rich  and  happy  experiences,  and  continued  use  as  a 
dwelling  place,  make  it  dear  to  the  heart.  It  has  been  to  us  a 
good  home,  the  scene  of  many  a  joyous  hour,  the  center  of  the 
best  and  worthiest  affections,  and  every  nook  and  corner  is  full 
of  pleasant  recollections.  It  is  hard  to  leave  behind.  The 
heart  is  pained  to  sever  the  relations  that  have  been  so  full  of 
wholesome  experiences.    But  there  comes  a  time  when  these  at- 


136 


Barriers 


tachments  for  the  old  home  must  be  surrendered  and  its  associa- 
tions sundered.  Its  mission  to  us  has  been  accomplished.  Its 
service  has  been  a  worthy  one,  but  the  time  for  the  ending  of 
this  service  has  arrived.  Its  further  use  and  enjoyment  would 
be  a  hindrance  to  our  welfare  and  prosperity,  and  perhaps  of 
each  and  all  connected  with  it.  Progress  and  further  develop- 
ment require  the  sundering  of  its  bands,  for  a  new  home  pro- 
vides better  advantages  and  greater  possibilities.  In  like 
manner  the  time  is  sure  to  come,  and  already  may  be  here,  when 
our  personal  growth  and  progress,  and  the  growth  and  progress 
of  the  religious  interests  of  our  town,  or  community,  demand 
the  sundering  of  some  of  our  strong  attachments  for  the  church 
and  the  formation  of  new  ones.  The  old  church  in  which  we 
were  reared  has  filled  a  very  worthy  mission.  It  has  been  the 
source  of  much  happiness  and  joy  to  us,  and  the  nurturer  of 
our  worthiest  aspirations  and  purposes,  but  its  day  of  useful- 
ness as  a  means  of  progress  and  of  further  development  either 
to  ourselves  or  to  the  community  has  ended,  and  the  ties  by 
which  it  has  been  bound  to  us  ought  to  be  sundered.  A  greater 
work  than  it  can  provide  has  opened  up  before  us.  Greater 
possibilities  than  it  can  give  are  now  within  our  reach.  Greater 
usefulness  to  the  Kingdom  of  God  than  it  can  afford  is  now 
possible  to  our  religious  activities  and  efTorts  in  a  wider  and 
better  field.  Our  own  higher  interests,  the  higher  interests  of 
the  community,  and  the  higher  interests  of  the  Kingdom  of  God, 
all  demand  that  the  old  church  home  should  be  given  up  and 
new  relationships  established.  It  may  be  difficult,  but  it  is 
reasonable  and  right. 

A  very  significant  and  suggestive  illustration  of  the  way  in 
which  an  unreasonable  and  injurious  attachment  for  some  re- 
ligious object  may  arise  is  found  in  the  Scriptures.  It  is  ex- 
hibited in  the  case  of  the  children  of  Israel  when  in  the  dajs  of 
their  good  King,  Hezekiah,  they  became  ardent  worshippers  of 


Unreasonable  Attachments 


137 


the  brazen  serpent  that  Moses  had  made.  This  serpent  had 
once  been  the  instrument  of  great  good  in  the  salvation  of  their 
progenitors  at  a  time  of  special  need,  but  it  was  no  longer  a 
channel  of  blessing  to  any  one.  The  children  of  Israel,  how- 
ever, became  so  strongly  attached  to  it  as  to  burn  incense  to  it 
and  thus  to  give  to  it  a  place  in  their  worship  which  belonged 
to  God  alone.  But  their  wisehearted  King  saw-  the  danger 
and  the  evil  of  their  unreasonable  attachment  for  it,  destroyed 
it  by  breaking  it  in  pieces,  and  emphasized  the  fact  that  it  was 
simply  a  piece  of  brass  and  unworthy  of  any  great  attachment 
or  devotion  by  naming  it  "  Nehushtan." 

These  unreasonable  attachments  have  their  prime  source  in 
the  treacherous  cunning  of  that  arch  enemy  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Christ  who  "  is  called  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  the  deceiver  of  the 
whole  world."  This  great  enemy  assaulted  the  Founder  of  the 
church  in  the  beginning  of  His  work  with  a  temptation  of  this 
kind  when  he  urged  Him  to  cast  Himself  down  from  a  pinnacle 
of  the  temple,  and  suggested  that  He  would  be  perfectly  safe 
in  any  faith  or  feeling  He  might  have  in  such  an  act  in  con- 
nection with  God's  holy  temple  and  its  worship.  The  Head 
of  the  church  resisted  him  and  overcame.  At  another  time 
Jesus  recognized  this  enemy  as  the  source  of  wrong  feelings 
in  the  heart  of  Peter  when  He  exclaimed,  "  Get  thee  behind 
me,  Satan;  thou  art  an  offense  unto  me"  (Matt.  16:23). 
Still  later  He  told  Peter  that  Satan  desired  to  have  him  that 
he  might  sift  him  as  wheat.  In  one  of  His  parables  about  His 
Kingdom  Jesus  represents  Satan  as  a  constant  watcher  and 
worker  against  His  Kingdom  by  catching  away  the  good  seed 
out  of  the  heart  of  any  one  who  does  not  understand  it,  and 
in  another  parable  declares  that  the  devil  is  the  enemy  who 
sows  tares  among  the  wheat.  Two  of  the  evangelists  tell  us 
that  the  great  sin  of  Judas  in  the  betrayal  of  the  Lord  was 
"  put  into  his  heart  "  by  this  arch  enemy.    Peter  recognized 


138 


Barriers 


the  source  of  Ananias'  sin  when  he  protested,  "  Why  hath 
Satan  filled  thy  heart  to  lie  unto  the  Holy  Ghost?"  Paul 
teaches  us  that  "  Satan  fashioneth  himself  into  an  angel  of 
light,"  and  that  "  his  ministers  also  fashion  themselves  as 
ministers  of  righteousness"  (II  Cor.  ii:  14,  15),  and  urges  us 
to  "  Put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  we  may  be  able  to 
stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil"  (Eph.  6:11).  Jesus 
and  the  apostles  give  witness  to  the  fact  of  Satan's  entrance  into 
human  hearts  and  of  his  power  for  evil  in  them.  As  the  great 
enemy  of  Christ's  Kingdom  he  ever  tries  to  hinder  and  prevent 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  church  which  Christ  has 
founded  and  is  ever  ready  to  suggest  and  foster  any  false  or 
unreasonable  attachment  which  he  can  use  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  his  purposes.  He  is  ever  ready  to  warp  and  distort 
our  faith  and  our  affections  in  every  way  he  can  to  hinder 
our  own  spiritual  growth  and  the  church's  most  effective  ac- 
complishment of  its  mission  as  the  ordained  representative  of 
Christ's  Kingdom.  It  may  help  us  in  temptation  and  protect 
us  from  his  snares  to  realize  that  his  entrance  into  our  hearts  is 
very  subtile  and  his  work  very  deceiving,  and  that  that  is  why 
"  the  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things  and  desperately  wicked," 
as  the  Scriptures  teach  and  as  we  are  rather  unwilling  to  believe. 
He  is  the  great  corruptor  of  the  human  heart  and  often  leads 
astray  the  thoughts  and  feelings  of  the  worshippers  of  God. 
No  doubt  it  is  for  this  purpose  that  he  goes  so  regularly  to 
church  and  tries  to  turn  the  worship  of  the  Lord  into  the  wor- 
ship of  himself  and  to  transform  the  house  of  God  into  a  syna- 
gogue of  his  own. 

"  Wherever  God  erects  a  house  of  prayer 
The  devil  always  builds  a  chapel  there." 

To  be  conscious  of  these  things  is  to  be  on  guard  against 
his  snares  and  the  weakness  of  our  own  moral  nature  and  thus 


Unreasonable  Attachments 


139 


to  find  deliverance  from  the  sin  of  unreasonable  and  wrong 
attachments. 

"  Finally,  be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  strength  of  His 
might.  Put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God  that  ye  may  be  able 
to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  our  wrestling  is 
not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  the  principalities,  against 
the  powers,  against  the  vvorldrulers  of  this  darkness,  against  the 
spiritual  hosts  of  wickedness  in  the  heavenly  places." 


ULTRA  CONSERVATISM 


TWO  tendencies  in  human  nature  are  ever  apparent  and 
insistent.  These  are  the  conservative  tendency  on  the 
one  hand  and  the  radical  or  progressive  on  the  other.  They 
are  opposing  forces  and  each  is  ever  seeking  to  gain  the  mastery 
of  men.  Ever\'  man  has  both  within  his  breast  and  society 
in  all  its  varied  forms  is  ever  yielding  to  the  persuasive  power 
of  the  one  or  the  other.  Every  man  is  either  a  conservative 
or  a  radical  in  regard  to  ever}'  question  affecting  his  life  and 
character.  WTiich  he  is  is  determined  by  the  ascendency  gained 
over  his  thought,  feeling,  and  action  by  the  one  or  the  other. 
In  the  never-ceasing  struggle  sometimes  one  is  in  the  lead 
and  then  the  other  gains  the  stronger  hold.  To-day  a  man 
may  be  a  radical  on  some  important  question  and  to-morrow 
a  conservative,  or  to-day  a  conservative  and  to-morrow  a  pro- 
gressive. Such  is  the  case  in  politics,  religion,  business,  social 
affairs,  everywhere.  To-day  conservatism  may  have  the  as- 
cendency in  organized  society  and  to-morrow  radicalism,  or  the 
ascendency-  of  one  over  the  other  may  last  for  years,  for  a  life- 
time, for  an  era  in  the  development  of  causes  and  the  progress 
of  nations.  The  great  struggles  of  the  human  race  are  but 
manifestations  of  the  antagonism  of  these  opposing  tendencies. 
The  struggle  between  patrician  and  plebeian,  the  high  and  the 
low,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  old  and  the  new,  is  ever  re- 
appearing in  all  countries  and  all  times.  The  contest  rages  in 
legislative  halls,  ecclesiastical  assemblies,  educational  associa- 
tions and  in  business  and  labor  conferences.  The  old  world 
moves  on  whilst  now  the  one  and  now  the  other  of  these  op- 
posing forces  gains  the  day,  and  still  the  contest  renews  itself 


Ultra  Conservatism 


141 


as  if  for  the  first  time  under  new  names  and  different  personali- 
ties. 

In  the  progress  of  this  struggle  from  day  to  day  and  year 
to  year  strange  contradictions  and  inconsistencies  in  human 
thought  and  conduct  are  made  to  appear.  Not  only  are  men 
liable  to  change  from  views  and  conduct  that  are  conservative 
to  those  that  are  radical,  or  just  contrariwise,  but  they  may  be 
conservative  on  one  question  and  radical  on  another  and  this 
contrariety  may  have  reference  to  a  number  of  questions.  A 
man  may  be  a  radical  in  religion  but  a  conservative  in  politics, 
or  otherwise  and  such  is  very  often  the  case.  He  may  be 
a  conservative  in  business  matters  but  a  radical  on  educational 
matters  or  just  the  opposite.  His  attitude  may  change  suddenly 
and  without  apparent  reason  in  regard  to  all  of  these  sub- 
jects. Through  the  action  and  reaction  of  these  opposing  forces 
in  every  man's  breast  an  interesting  and  curious  process  is  ever 
going  on;  but  one  or  the  other  is  quite  sure  to  have  the  greater 
preeminence  in  the  contest  and  mark  a  man  as  either  a  con- 
servative or  a  reformer. 

So  it  is  in  the  collective  body  of  persons  composing  a  com- 
munity, or  an  association,  or  organization  of  any  kind  among 
men.  This  collective  body  will  be  conservative  or  radical  ac- 
cording to  the  number  and  influence  of  those  respectively  on 
each  side.  A  political  party  is  progressive  or  conservative  ac- 
cording to  the  sentiments  and  principles  of  those  who  form  and 
support  its  policies.  A  church  is  conservative  or  progressive 
according  to  the  particular  sentiments  and  principles  of  those 
who  mould  its  beliefs  and  practices.  A  business  organization  is 
conservative  or  progressive  according  to  the  kind  of  principles 
that  control  its  activities.  In  all  these  and  kindred  associations 
cither  conservative  or  radical  ideas  are  quite  sure  to  gain  the 
greater  ascendency  and  to  mark  the  association  as  conservative 
or  radical. 


142 


Barriers 


This  irrepressible  conflict  and  constant  antagonism  is  deeply 
laid  in  human  nature.  It  is  the  apposition  of  the  past  and 
the  future,  of  memory  and  hope,  of  the  judgment  and  the  rea- 
son. It  is  the  antagonism  of  things  that  are  radically  different 
and  placed  in  opposition  to  each  other  in  every  man's  experience. 
It  is  as  old  as  the  creation  and  as  fixed  as  any  other  fact  in 
human  nature.  It  is  a  struggle  worthy  of  the  deepest  study, 
the  closest  scrutiny,  the  deepest  concern  and  the  utmost  care 
in  regard  to  its  results  and  the  ef?ect  of  these  results  upon  the 
life  of  one's  own  self,  of  the  church,  of  the  state,  and  of  the 
world. 

Ancient  mythology  relates  a  fable  which  indicates  the  way 
in  which  this  struggle  was  regarded  by  the  ancients.  Accord- 
ing to  this  myth  the  old  god  Saturn  became  weary  of  sitting 
alone,  or  with  none  but  Uranus  or  heaven  beholding  him,  and 
created  an  oyster.  On  his  determination  to  act  again  he  created 
another  oyster  and  so  went  on  creating  a  race  of  oysters. 
Uranus  observing  this  cried  out,  "  A  new  work,  O  Saturn ;  the 
old  is  not  good  again." 

Saturn  made  answer,  "  I  fear  there  is  not  only  the  alterna- 
tive of  making  and  not  making  but  also  of  unmaking.  Seest 
thou  the  great  sea,  how  it  ebbs  and  flows?  So  is  it  with  me; 
my  power  ebbs;  and  if  I  put  forth  my  hands,  I  shall  not  do 
but  undo.  Therefore  I  do  what  I  have  done;  I  hold  what  I 
have  got;  and  so  I  resist  night  and  chaos." 

"  O  Saturn,"  rejoined  Uranus,  "  thou  canst  not  hold  thine 
own  by  making  more.  Thy  oysters  are  barnacles  and  cockles, 
and  with  the  next  flowing  of  the  tide  they  will  be  pebbles  and 
sea  foam." 

"  I  see,"  Saturn  retorted,  "  thou  art  in  league  with  night, 
and  art  become  an  evil  eye;  thou  spakest  from  love;  now  thy 
words  smite  me  with  hatred.  I  appeal  to  fate,  must  there  not 
be  rest  ?  " 


Ultra  Conservatism 


143 


"  I  appeal  to  fate  also,"  replied  Uranus.  "  Must  there  not 
be  motion?  " 

Saturn  made  no  answer  but  went  on  making  oysters  for  a 
thousand  years.  After  that  long  period  the  words  of  Uranus 
came  into  his  mind  like  a  ray  of  the  sun,  and  he  made  Jupiter; 
and  when  he  had  done  so  he  feared  again,  and  nature  froze, 
the  things  that  were  made  went  backward,  and  to  save  the 
world  Jupiter  slew  his  father  Saturn. 

This  old  myth  presents  the  most  ancient  conception  of  the 
origin  of  this  conflict  and  describes  the  first  contention  between 
a  conservative  and  a  radical  which  has  come  down  to  us.  This 
opposition  never  ceases.  It  is  the  counteraction  between  cen- 
tripetal and  centrifugal  forces.  Radicalism  is  the  progressive 
energy:  conservatism  puts  a  pause  upon  the  last  movement. 
"  Behold  what  God  hath  done !  "  the  conservatist  exclaims ; 
"  Behold  He  maketh  all  things  new!  "  the  radical  replies. 

Nevertheless  these  two  tendencies  in  human  life  as  well  as 
in  all  nature  are  really  complements  to  each  other.  One  with- 
out the  other  is  weakness,  inefficiency,  deformity,  ugliness,  death. 
In  their  mutual  and  appropriate  adjustment  they  make  a  com- 
bination that  is  perfect  in  its  power  and  beauty.  Each  is  a  good 
half,  but  an  impossible  whole.  Each  exposes  the  fallacies  and 
abuses  of  the  other,  but  in  every  true  man  and  in  every  true 
society  they  come  together  in  strength  and  beauty.  Take  an 
illustration  from  nature  in  the  living  oak.  In  it,  conserva- 
tism preserves  in  its  inner  structure  the  results  of  growth  in 
past  seasons  and  provides  the  structure  of  its  trunk  and  branches 
upon  which  radicalism  places  new  material,  enlarges  its  use- 
fulness, increases  its  strength  and  makes  it  a  thing  of  grace 
and  beauty.  The  right  adjustment  of  these  two  elements  gives 
conservatism  both  more  matter  and  more  power  to  conserve 
and  makes  possible  the  life  and  progress  which  radicalism  se- 
cures.   An  oak  in  which  conservatism  has  gained  the  ascend- 


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ency  over  radicalism  soon  begins  to  die  and  lose  its  value  and 
to  become  deformed  and  ugly.  Since  beauty  is  nature's  crown 
of  approbation  upon  perfection,  the  living  oak  through  its  happy 
combination  of  these  forces  is  the  perfection  of  beauty  of  its 
kind.  So  it  is  throughout  nature.  So  it  is  among  men.  The 
happy  combination  of  these  two  elements  gives  strength,  de- 
velopment, and  beauty  to  human  character.  The  predominance 
of  one  above  the  other  is  a  sure  cause  of  deterioration,  decay, 
and  death ;  and  deformity  and  ugliness  of  character  are  also  sure 
to  follow.  The  same  is  true  of  church,  state,  or  any  other 
collective  body  of  men.  The  happy  combination  of  its  conserv- 
ative and  radical  influences  gives  strength,  progress  and  charm 
of  beauty  to  its  character  and  work.  Every  stable  and  at  the 
same  time  vigorous  and  progressive  association,  or  organization, 
of  any  kind  among  men  is  one  in  which  these  two  factors  have 
become  most  perfectly  adjusted  and  remain  in  that  relation- 
ship. 

Now  while  the  combination  of  these  two  forces  is  very  per- 
fect in  nature,  and  while  no  man  or  body  of  men  can  con- 
tinue to  exist  in  whom  both  elements  are  not  at  work,  their 
combination  in  men  individually  and  collectively  is  often  far 
from  being  perfect,  and  their  adjustment  far  from  being  true 
and  right.  By  reason  of  men's  liability  and  proneness  to  err 
they  not  only  permit  one  of  these  elements  to  gain  an  undue 
ascendency  over  the  other  but  encourage,  stimulate  and 
strengthen  such  ascendency.  Their  bent  of  mind  toward  the 
one  or  the  other  readily  makes  them  partizans  and  supporters 
of  the  side  to  which  their  bent  inclines.  Men  are  not  generally 
philosophers,  but  rather  are  often  very  foolish  children  who  by 
reason  of  their  partiality  see  everything  in  the  most  absurd 
manner  and  are  the  victims  of  the  nearest  object.  Even  the 
most  philosophic  are  not  philosophic  at  all  times.  They  take 
sides  most  readily  with  the  cause  which  seems  to  them  to  in- 


Ultra  Conservatism 


145 


sure  the  greatest  good  without  careful  examination  as  to  whether 
it  be  true  or  false.  Not  unfrequently  do  they  continue  their 
adherence  to  the  side  of  important  questions  to  which  their 
inclination,  personal  interest,  and  perversity  of  disposition  lead 
long  after  its  error  has  become  apparent  to  the  masses  of  man- 
kind. Thus  they  become  extremists,  ultraists  on  the  side  of 
conser\'atism,  or  of  radicalism. 

The  ultraist  on  either  side  is  a  great  hindrance  to  the  proper 
combination  of  these  forces  in  the  settlement  of  any  question. 
Sooner  or  later  he  is  sure  to  meet  an  opponent  of  like  devotion 
on  the  opposing  side.  The  conflict  then  is  sure  to  rage  with 
violence  and  persistence  to  the  great  injury  of  the  cause  with 
which  their  conflict  is  connected.  But  the  ultraist  of  conserv- 
atism always  has  some  advantage  in  the  material  reality  of 
the  things  which  he  defends.  The  line  of  battle  which  he 
engages  to  protect  is  the  actual  state  of  things  whether  they  be 
good  or  bad.  His  fingers  clutch  existing  facts  and  his  eyes 
will  not  open  to  the  vision  of  better  things.  It  is  this  fact 
that  makes  ultra  conservatism  a  special  barrier  to  the  cause 
of  greater  unity.  The  existing  condition  of  a  divided  church 
is  on  the  side  of  conservatism  and  its  Ime  of  battle  is  now  well 
fortified.  Its  ultraist  is  now  in  possession  of  the  ground  to  be 
contested.  His  work  is  that  of  holding  what  he  has  instead  of 
taking  from  another. 

It  is  readily  granted  that  conservatism  has  its  proper  field 
and  necessary  work.  It  is  essential  to  the  preservation  and 
best  use  of  past  acquisitions  and  attainments.  It  is  necessary, 
too,  to  hold  in  check  the  freakish  and  unreasonable  proposals 
and  efTorts  of  extreme  radicalism.  It  is  necessary  to  give 
stability,  strength,  and  durability  to  any  cause,  to  anv  body 
of  men  associated  or  organized  for  any  purpose,  to  anj'  in- 
stitution established  for  human  welfare.  Yes,  conservatism  has 
a  most  important  place  to  fill  and  work  to  do  in  securing  the 


146 


Barriers 


welfare  of  every  human  being  and  of  every  institution  in  which 
mankind  is  interested.  And  yet  it  may  become  ultra  and  a 
hindrance  rather  than  a  blessing  to  the  cause  with  which  it 
stands  connected.  So  it  has  often  been.  It  is  thus  when  the 
ultraist  has  control  of  the  reins  and  holds  back  the  steeds 
of  progress.  He  is  entirely  satisfied  with  things  just  as  they 
are  and  wants  no  alterations.  He  often  says,  with  pride  of 
heart,  "  It  was  good  enough  for  father,  and  it  is  good  enough 
for  me."  His  attachment  to  old  forms  and  usages  is  very 
great  and  he  will  brook  no  change,  if  he  can  help  it.  He 
claims  that  the  state  of  things  which  now  exists  is  the  very 
best,  and  ought  to  continue.  He  is  opposed  to  any  disturbance 
of  the  present  order  by  the  introduction  of  new  things.  His 
slogan  is,  "  Let  well  enough  alone."  The  vision  of  better 
things  is  to  him  an  idle  dream.  He  has  very  little  faith  in  the 
possibilities  of  the  future. 

Ultra  conservatism  has  been  the  source  of  much  weakness  and 
loss  in  national  affairs.  The  Westminster  Review  says  (Aug. 
1891,  p.  116)  :  "  England  lost  her  American  Colonies  through 
her  blind  conservatism  and  through  the  domineering,  greedy, 
and  insular  egotism  of  her  old  Colonial  system."  Such  blind 
conservatism  is  the  enemy  of  all  national  reforms.  Its  principle 
in  regard  to  every  form  of  evil  in  civil  and  public  affairs  is 
"  Let  it  alone."  It  had  its  era  in  American  politics  in  regard  to 
slavery  when  that  great  evil  was  a  growing  incubus  upon  our 
national  life.  Our  Civil  War  in  the  early  sixties  of  the  last 
century  was  a  reaction  against  its  sway  and  power.  It  has  had 
its  long-continued  era  in  many  of  our  states,  and  in  our  country 
as  a  whole,  in  regard  to  the  liquor  traffic  and  our  drinking 
habits,  in  the  belief  that  all  sumptuary  legislation  is  unwise, 
and  that  prohibition  is  a  failure. 

Ultra  conservatism  has  ever  been  a  great  hindrance  to  the 
growth  and  power  of  the  church.    It  is  the  persistent  enemy 


Ultra  Conservatism 


147 


of  its  development  and  progress.  It  has  ever  persecuted  the 
church's  reformers  and  thrown  all  its  force  against  the  new 
ideas  they  advanced.  The  Pharisees  of  Christ's  time  were 
ultraists  of  this  kind.  So  was  Saul  of  Tarsus  when  perse- 
cuting the  followers  of  Christ.  Wherever  and  whenever  it  has 
prevailed,  it  has  prevented  progress,  it  has  decreased  the  vigor 
and  vitality  of  the  church's  energy,  it  has  introduced  decay  and 
death  into  the  church's  life.  It  does  for  the  church  what  it 
does  for  the  oak  —  makes  dying  and  dead  branches.  Such  ef- 
fects are  readily  seen  in  the  case  of  the  small  competing  con- 
gregations of  villages  and  the  open  country.  Surveys  of  church 
conditions  in  different  states  have  shown  that  where  the  great- 
est conservatism  prevails  in  a  number  of  small  congregations 
a  dying  or  dead  condition  is  sure  to  exist,  and  no  converts  arc 
being  made,  and  that  where  a  more  progressive  spirit  pre- 
dominates among  the  people  of  the  community  in  their  united 
fellowship  and  work  the  church  is  prospering  and  growing. 

Ultra  conservatism  is  antagonistic  to  the  progressive  and  re- 
formatory spirit  so  fully  shown  in  the  Scriptures.  The  develop- 
ment of  Israel  as  a  nation  and  a  church  under  the  leadership 
of  Moses  was  a  new  work.  That  was  a  great  and  significant 
message  which  said,  "  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel  that 
they  go  forward."  Samuel,  the  great  reformer,  had  a  very 
progressive  spirit.  David,  the  greatest  of  their  kings,  intro- 
duced many  new  things  into  the  worship  of  Jehovah  and  unified 
his  people  in  their  worship.  All  the  good  Kings  of  Israel  were 
reformers  and  therefore  had  a  progressive  spirit.  The  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  "  good  news  "  which  means  that  there  is 
something  "  new  "  about  it  and  that  its  spirit  is  progressive. 
The  establishment  of  the  church  by  the  Apostles  of  our  Lord 
required  and  manifested  a  positive  progressive  spirit  on  their 
part.  Their  messages  are  full  of  exhortations  and  appeals  to 
put  on  the  new  man  and  to  walk  in  newness  of  life.  The 


148 


Barriers 


Bible  is  a  book  of  great  ideals:  ideals  are  possible  conditions 
and  attainments  in  the  future;  the  life  to  which  it  calls  is  full 
of  reformations;  it  is  therefore  a  book  of  radical  ideas,  incen- 
tives, results.  WHiile  it  recognizes  the  field  and  place  of  true 
conservatism  it  exalts  the  principles  of  progress  and  reform  as 
characteristic  of  the  church  in  representing  of  God's  Kingdom. 

Ultra  conservatism  makes  Christian  men  and  women  indiffer- 
ent to  the  claims  of  many  progressive  measures  and  efforts. 
It  leads  them  to  think  that  they  have  no  responsibility  in  regard 
to  the  demands  of  movements  which  are  seeking  better  con- 
ditions and  a  better  state  of  affairs  in  the  life  of  the  church, 
community,  or  nation.  They  have  neither  time  to  spare  nor 
money  to  give  in  the  consideration  and  support  of  such  move- 
ments. They  have  grown  up  under  the  present  order  of  divi- 
sion in  the  church  and  are  under  the  conviction  that  this  order 
is  permanently  established.  They  are  satisfied  with  it,  think 
it  good  enough,  and  are  persuaded  that  the  idea  of  a  united 
church  is  an  idle  dream  and  all  efforts  to  make  it  real  a  use- 
less waste  of  time.  They  have  never  given  much  thought  to 
the  advantages  and  possibilities  of  a  united  Christendom,  or 
even  of  a  much  greater  unity  than  now  exists,  and  do  not  care 
to  do  so.  They  claim  that  the  churches  are  now  prosperous 
and  that  it  is  better  to  let  well  enough  alone.  They  take  little 
or  no  interest  in  any  measures  or  efforts  looking  to  the  unify- 
ing of  the  churches. 

Even  ministers  in  considerable  numbers  are  more  or  less  in- 
different to  the  claims  of  this  great  movement.  They,  too, 
have  been  accustomed  to  look  upon  the  present  state  of  divi- 
sion as  permanent,  at  least  for  a  long  period  of  years,  and 
their  conservative  disposition  of  mind  has  made  them  indiffer- 
ent to  the  possibilities  of  any  radical  change.  Their  conser- 
vatism makes  them  adverse  to  a  thorough  study  and  investi- 
gation of  the  subject  and  listless  to  the  arguments  of  those 


Ultra  Conservatism 


149 


who  are  pleading  for  this  cause.  They  are  satisfied  with  the 
degree  of  prosperity  in  the  churches  now  in  progress  and  regard 
the  present  condition  of  division  to  be  desirable.  They  think 
that  the  unity  now  manifested  through  interdenominational 
and  outside  agencies  is  all  that  is  needed.  They  believe  that 
we  have  the  essence  of  unity  now  and  that  there  is  no  need 
of  taking  any  further  steps  toward  a  greater  unity.  This  in- 
difference is  a  great  hindrance  to  the  movement. 

The  inertia  caused  by  the  spirit  of  conservatism  is  seen  in 
all  great  moral  and  religious  movements.  Many  of  the  min- 
istry and  large  numbers  of  church  members  often  take  little 
or  no  interest  in  these  movements.  The  most  strenuous  and 
exhaustive  efforts  to  awaken  interest  in  some  good  cause  often 
fails  because  the  spirit  of  indifference  is  so  deepseated  and 
thoroughly  established.  This  inertia  is  seen  in  the  cause  of 
foreign  missions.  Only  a  very  few  of  the  membership  of  our 
churches  are  really  interested  in  this  great  cause.  The  greater 
number  give  very  little  to  its  advancement  and  do  not  care 
to  have  its  work  and  needs  presented  in  an  appeal  to  them 
for  help.  This  inertia  is  seen  in  the  cause  of  Christian  educa- 
tion. Only  a  limited  number  of  church  people  are  interested 
to  any  special  degree  in  this  great  cause  and  give  liberally  and 
largely  to  its  promotion.  The  educational  institutions  of 
every  denomination  are  made  to  realize  the  wide  range  of  this 
lack  of  interest  by  the  meagre  material  responses  that  come 
to  their  appeals  for  help.  This  inertia  is  seen  in  the  temper- 
ance movement.  Many  members  of  the  church  are  very  in- 
different to  the  progress  of  this  cause.  They  do  not  care  to 
have  it  advocated  in  the  pulpit  and  are  unwilling  to  give  for 
its  advancement.  They  do  not  want  any  temperance  league 
to  come  with  an  appeal  for  help,  and  are  very  much  opposed 
to  the  church's  activity  in  its  behalf.  These  great  movements 
have  their  special  propaganda  and  channels  of  promotion  with- 


I50 


Barriers 


in  the  church's  agencies,  and  yet  this  want  of  interest  retards 
the  progress  of  their  cause,  and  in  doing  so  hinders  the  growth 
of  Christ's  Kingdom  in  the  world.  The  cause  of  Christian 
unity  which  has  no  special  means  of  propagation  and  promotion 
is  much  restrained  by  this  inertia  of  conservative  tendencies. 

Ministers  and  members  of  the  church  who  were  once  pro- 
gressive and  energetic  in  their  Christian  work  sometimes  be- 
come rather  too  conservative  in  after  years  for  their  own  good 
and  for  the  good  of  the  church.  It  is  a  sign  that  the  decrepi- 
tude of  their  religious  life  has  set  in.  They  are  guilty  of  the 
sin  of  backsliding.  They  failed  to  find  the  fountain  of  per- 
petual youth  in  spiritual  things  whence  flows  the  sweet  elixir 
of  an  unfading  hope  fortified  and  electrified  by  its  close  and 
spirited  combination  with  unfaltering  faith  and  radiant  love. 
Their  own  spirituality  has  lost  its  vigor  and  the  vitality  of 
the  church's  life  has  lost  strength  by  their  spiritual  indifference 
and  decline.  Churches,  too,  that  were  once  progressive  and 
full  of  spiritual  vitality  are  liable  to  lose  their  radical  spirit 
and  become  very  conservative  on  many  moral  questions.  It 
has  been  so  in  the  history  of  many  denominations.  Although 
their  numbers  and  wealth  may  continue  to  increase,  this  de- 
velopment of  ultra  conservatism  is  an  evidence  of  spiritual  de- 
cline and  results  in  loss  of  power.  The  Rev.  J.  H.  Sheaks- 
peare,  of  Norwich,  England,  felt  this  to  be  the  case  in  the 
condition  of  the  nonconformist  churches  of  England  just  be- 
fore the  great  world  war  broke  out,  as  is  evident  from  his 
address  before  the  National  Council  of  Evangelical  Free 
Churches  in  1914,  in  which  he  says:  "Nonconformity  has 
always  been  noted  for  its  backbone.  Indeed,  it  has  often  been 
so  proud  of  its  backbone  that  it  has  put  it  in  the  front.  It 
is  one  of  the  strange  phenomena  of  physiology  that  the  brain 
may  sleep,  but  the  spinal  cord  carry  on  the  movements  of  the 
body,  so  that  soldiers  have  continued  to  march,  and  swimmers 


Ultra  Conservatism 


151 


like  Holbein  to  swim,  though  they  were  fast  asleep.  I  have 
great  dread  lest  the  backbone  of  Free  Churchism  should  main- 
tain its  automatic  movements,  while  with  brain  and  heart  and 
even  conscience  asleep  it  should  march  on  through  this  glorious 
new  day,  this  wonderful  new  world,  missing  its  fair  landscapes, 
its  golden  harvests,  and  deaf  to  its  significant  calls." 

A  similar  condition  in  the  American  churches  has  been 
recognized  by  many.  Their  state  of  inertia  in  regard  to  the 
healing  of  divisions  and  the  promotion  of  greater  unity  has 
been  very  marked  and  has  shown  a  strong  spirit  of  conserva- 
tism. The  recognition  of  this  state  of  indifference  and  in- 
activity has  been  well  expressed  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Edward 
Fawcet,  Bishop  of  Quincy,  in  the  following  manner:  "  Some- 
times the  defense  "  (of  sectarianism)  "  consists  of  the  lackadai- 
sical phrase:  '  O  well  they  are  all  bound  for  the  same  place 
as  though  that  atoned  for  the  present  hurt  and  waste.  But 
the  great  multitudes  involved  do  not  pretend  to  defend  sectarian- 
ism, for  they  take  it  for  granted.  It  is  so  much  in  the  air, 
it  is  so  very  familiar;  children  are  born  in  it,  reared  in  it,  and 
men  so  live  in  its  atmosphere  now,  that  it  is  not  so  much  as 
considered  regrettable.  This  alone  is  a  proof  of  the  degeneracy 
incident  upon  it.  And  when  men  do  think  of  it,  and  try  to 
defend  it  in  arguments  called  '  Charitable,'  their  arguments 
lack  charity  because  they  ignore  all  too  patent  evils  flowing 
from  unwarranted  divisions.  They  are  like  the  so-called 
'  Charitable  views  *  of  unwarranted  divorce,  which  pay  great 
respect  to  the  idiosyncrasies  of  individuals,  but  wholly  ignore 
the  pitiful  plight  of  children,  and  the  effects  upon  society." 

Beyond  doubt  the  prevalence  of  too  much  conservatism  has 
been  preventing  in  all  Christian  countries  the  most  effective 
work  and  progress  of  the  church  in  many  ways.  Beyond  doubt 
it  has  been  a  barrier  of  no  inconsiderable  significance  to  the 
cause  of  Christian  unity.    It  is  a  condition  against  which  many 


152 


Barriers 


of  the  strongest  warnings  of  the  Scriptures  are  given.  They 
are  full  of  calls  to  activity  and  progress.  The  greatest  of 
the  prophets  voiced  the  spirit  and  desire  of  all  the  sacred  writers 
in  regard  to  the  church,  when  he  cried:  "Awake,  awake, 
put  on  thy  strength,  O  arm  of  the  Lord";  "Awake,  awake; 
put  on  thy  strength,  O  Zion ;  put  on  thy  beautiful  garments, 
O  Jerusalem,  the  holy  city." 

The  leaders  of  this  conservatism  in  the  churches,  and 
especially  in  regard  to  their  more  perfect  unification,  are  charge- 
able with  ultraism  in  their  attitude  toward  this  question.  They 
regard  the  divided  condition  of  the  church  as  a  mark  of  progress 
rather  than  of  decline.  They  quote  and  misinterpret  the 
prophet's  question,  "  Can  two  walk  together  except  they  be 
agreed  ?  "  Instead  of  recognizing  its  appeal  for  harmony  they 
make  it  a  justification  for  disagreement  and  separation.  The 
failure  to  get  together  has  been  the  source  of  great  harm  to 
many  a  good  cause.  Often  has  it  been  the  source  of  great  evil 
to  the  church.  To  be  responsible  for  the  failure  to  agree  upon 
the  things  that  are  most  vital  and  important  is  to  be  charge- 
able with  grave  and  reprehensible  guilt. 


SELFISHNESS 

LOVE  to  one's  self  was  recognized  as  necessary  and  right 
by  our  Lord  in  His  announcement  of  the  great  command- 
ment, "  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  In  this  com- 
mandment He  makes  the  love  of  self  to  be  the  measure  and  the 
motive  of  one's  love  for  his  neighbor.  Self-love  is  very  es- 
sential in  procuring  one's  own  well  being  and  happiness.  It 
is  perfectly  compatible  with  a  full  sense  of  justice,  righteous- 
ness, generosity,  charity,  and  all  such  graces  and  virtues,  as  per- 
tain to  the  most  perfect  Christian  manhood.  Love  for  one's 
self  is  necessary  to  all  effort  and  use  of  means  for  self-protec- 
tion and  self-development.  It  is  the  chief  underlying  motive 
in  providing  food,  clothing,  and  shelter  and  in  making  needed 
preparations  for  any  contingency  of  danger  or  destruction  that 
may  come.  The  love  of  self  is  the  source  of  all  personal  prog- 
ress, for  without  it  there  would  be  no  desire,  no  aspiration,  and 
no  effort,  to  improve.  It  is  the  first  and  chief  cause  of  all  per- 
sonal efficiency,  since  lacking  it  there  would  be  neither  desire 
nor  effort  to  do  any  work  in  an  effective  and  successful  way. 
Self-love  is  a  necessar>'  element  in  fitting  men  for  usefulness  in 
the  world,  for  wanting  it  there  will  be  no  sufficient  incentive  to 
serve  others,  no  spirit  of  helpfulness  and  faithfulness  toward 
any  person,  or  toward  any  cause  however  worthy  it  might  be. 
Self-love  is  therefore  a  natural  necessity  in  human  nature  and 
a  part  of  the  divine  plan  for  human  development.  But  the 
great  trouble  with  men  is  that  they  permit  it  to  become  ex- 
cessive and  abnormal  and  a  source  of  evil  rather  than  a  bless- 
ing, A  limit  has  been  placed  upon  it  by  the  Great  Creator 
of  all  things,  as  well  as  by  the  Lord's  commandment,  and  to 
permit  it  to  go  beyond  this  limit  is  to  enter  the  pathway  of 

153 


154 


Barriers 


disobedience  and  to  become  guilty  before  God,  and  in  rela- 
tion to  our  fellowmen.  Since  our  love  of  self  is  to  be  no  greater 
than  our  love  for  our  neighbor,  the  true  and  proper  limit  of 
its  scope  and  exercise  are  made  very  plain.  To  love  ourselves 
so  as  to  seek  after  our  own  advancement  and  interests  irrespec- 
tive of  our  responsibility  to  God,  and  of  the  claims  and  rights 
of  our  fellowmen,  is  to  be  guilty  of  the  sin  of  selfishness  —  a 
sin  very  far-reaching  in  its  effects  and  consequences,  and 
fraught  with  mischief  to  the  cause  of  Christianity. 

Selfishness  is  a  very  insidious  and  treacherous  sin  because  of 
its  close  relation  to  self-love,  a  proper  and  necessary  element 
in  human  character.  Men  and  women  who  are  guilty  of  a 
very  high  degree  of  selfishness  still  think  and  claim  that  they 
are  moved  only  by  a  proper  love  of  self  in  its  right  exercise 
and  power.  They  are  slow  to  believe  and  unwilling  to  admit 
that  their  love  of  self  is  in  harmful  excess  of  their  love  toward 
God  and  toward  men.  They  claim  to  act  from  the  worthiest 
of  motives,  and  no  doubt  in  most  cases  persuade  themselves 
that  they  are  doing  so,  although  selfishness  is  securely  seated 
upon  the  throne  of  their  lives,  and  determines  the  character  and 
issue  of  every  thought,  aim,  and  act.  It  is  a  sin  which  others 
often  see  in  us  while  we  ourselves  are  utterly  oblivious  of  its 
existence,  and  it  is  a  sin  very  disagreeable  and  disgusting  in 
others  though  cherished  as  a  virtue  in  ourselves.  There  is  so 
much  danger  to  us  all  that  oft  we  need  to  cry  with  Burns: 

"  O  wad  some  power  the  giftle  gie  us 
To  see  oursel's  as  ithers  see  us. 
It  wad  frae  mony  a  burden  free  us 
And  foolish  notion." 

Selfishness  is  a  voluntary  sin  in  which  the  will  readily  makes 
choice  of  self  as  the  ruling  interest  and  object  in  all  of  life's 
aims  and  activities,  and  therefore  is  particularly  a  sin  of  the 


Selfishness 


155 


will  in  control  of  the  emotions.  Christ's  great  commandment 
in  regard  to  love  of  neighbor  is  willfully  set  aside  and  His  will 
in  regard  to  our  personal  emotions  and  conduct  voluntarily 
ignored.  We  are  wanting  in  our  respect  for  His  authority 
over  us  because  of  the  spirit  of  disobedience  lurking  in  our 
wills  even  more  than  in  our  hearts.  Our  faith  in  His  wisdom 
and  ability  to  teach  us  and  to  show  us  how  to  make  the  most 
of  ourselves  is  defective,  because  of  the  perversity  of  will  by 
which  our  lives  are  ruled.  Selfishness  is  the  wayward  assump- 
tion of  our  own  superior  wisdom  and  ability  to  determine 
what  is  best  for  us  and  to  take  care  of  our  own  interests.  It 
is  a  refusal  to  recognize  the  claims  and  rights  of  others  except 
in  so  far  as  they  may  seem  to  us  to  suit  our  own  comfort,  con- 
venience and  prospects.  It  is  the  voluntary  determination  to 
make  our  own  pleasure,  happiness,  and  prosperity,  our  first  and 
our  exclusive  concern  and  care  in  daily  life  —  even  in  religious 
affairs.  It  is  the  wilful  preeminence  of  one's  own  prosperity 
and  advantage  as  the  center  and  substance  of  thought,  feeling, 
and  aim  in  all  life's  activities  and  efforts.  In  special  relation 
to  the  church  it  is  the  ready  choice  of  one's  own  ideals,  plans  and 
activities  rather  than  the  choice  of  the  ideals,  the  plans  and  the 
activities  of  the  Church's  Founder.  Thus  it  becomes  a  still 
more  serious  barrier  to  the  cause  of  Christian  unity  because 
of  the  perversity  of  will  which  it  reveals  in  the  arrogant,  im- 
perious and  super-sensitive  disposition  of  all  such  as  are  under 
the  dominion  of  its  power. 

Selfishness  is  a  radical,  deep-seated  sin  belonging  to  and  per- 
vading the  innermost  recesses  of  the  soul.  It  is  a  constitu- 
tional contagion  which  infects  and  debauches  every  moral 
power  which  men  possess.  It  is  a  vicious  propensity  in  human 
nature  which  will  vitiate,  if  permitted,  the  whole  outflow  of 
life.  It  is  a  corruption  of  the  moral  powers  which  is  closely 
related  to  what  is  generally  and  popularly  called  "  Original 


156 


Barriers 


Sin,"  which  has  been  described  as  "  a  corruption  of  a  man's 
whole  nature."  It  is  the  stimulating  and  efficient  cause  of 
many  other  sins  apparently  more  flagrant  than  itself  and  there- 
fore it  is  the  more  dangerous  and  the  more  necessary'  to  be 
recognized  and  overcome.  It  constitutes  a  large  element  in 
all  such  moral  defects  as  vanity,  conceit,  pride,  envy,  jealousy, 
arrogance,  haughtiness,  touchiness,  irritability,  censoriousness, 
ill  will,  anger  and  hate.  If  it  were  not  for  the  largeness  of 
the  love  of  self  and  the  smallness  of  the  love  of  others,  such 
wrong  feelings  as  these  would  not  appear.  Jesus  fully  recog- 
nized and  realized  the  fundamental  nature  of  this  sin  of  self- 
ishness and  its  potenc\'  for  degradation,  injury,  and  ruin,  in 
human  lives  when  He  made  its  subjugation  to  be  the  first  con- 
dition of  becoming  one  of  His  followers.  He  imposed  this  con- 
dition when  He  taught,  "  If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let 
him  deny  himself."  He  saw  most  clearly  how  self  is  always 
in  the  way  of  a  full  and  heart\'  acceptance  of  His  gospel,  and 
of  Himself  as  the  Lord  and  Master  of  the  life.  He  knew 
full  well  that  if  the  self  was  not  denied,  it  would  control  the 
heart  and  will  and  prevent  obedience  to  His  demands  and  re- 
quirements in  His  plan  of  giving  an  abundant  life.  Self- 
denial  is  the  crucifixion  of  selfishness.  Such  crucifixion  is 
necessary-,  or  selfishness  like  a  treacherous  and  ferocious  beast 
will  lie  at  the  door  of  men's  lives  to  attack  and  destroy  them. 
Until  the  self  has  been  mastered,  tamed,  and  surrendered  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  desire  and  purpose  to  take  up  one's 
cross  and  follow  Him  will  be  weak  and  ineffective.  He  knew 
what  was  in  man. 

One  great  peril  to  every  Christian  comes  from  his  liability 
to  be  overtaken  by  this  sin.  It  is  so  inherent  in  human  nature 
to  transgress  the  boundaries  of  our  limitations,  and  this  sin  of 
selfishness  is  so  deceptive,  that  it  is  possible  for  us  to  profess 
to  have  accepted  the  reign  of  Christ  in  our  lives,  while  there 


Selfishness 


157 


has  been  a  mental  and  moral  reservation  of  a  large  place  for 
self  in  religion  as  well  as  everywhere  else.  It  is  possible  for 
professors  of  religion  to  be  imbued  with  the  idea  that  the  out- 
ward forms  of  religion  are  all  that  are  essential  while  the 
inward  life  may  be  unchanged.  It  is  possible  to  think  and 
believe  oneself  a  good  and  substantial  member  of  the  church 
while  this  evil  of  selfishness  remains  the  ruling  power  in  his 
life  and  vitiates  all  his  worship  and  service.  It  is  possible 
to  form  a  number  of  religious  habits,  such  as  reading  the  Bible, 
praying,  and  going  regularly  to  church,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  make  self  the  dominant  power  in  all  these  habits  and  to 
think  almost  exclusively  of  their  reflex  influence  upon  ourselves 
rather  than  of  the  glory  of  Christ  and  the  good  of  His  Kingdom. 
It  is  possible  to  be  robed  in  ministerial  gown  and  to  stand 
behind  the  sacred  desk,  and  instead  of  holding  up  the  ideals 
and  the  honor  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  seek  continually  great 
things  for  one's  self ;  and  it  is  possible  to  be  active  and  in- 
fluential in  the  administration  of  the  afFairs  of  the  church  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  at  the  same  time  to  seek  the  honor  and  the 
power  that  comes  from  men,  rather  than  the  honor  that  comes 
from  God  only.  There  was  a  son  of  perdition  among  the 
Twelve.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  were  religious,  but  Christ 
told  them  that  they  were  hypocrites.  Such  as  these  are  de- 
scribed by  the  Apostle  Jude  as  "  hidden  rocks  in  your  love- 
feasts,  when  they  feast  with  you,  shepherds  that  without  fear 
feed  themselves ;  clouds  without  water,  carried  along  by  winds ; 
autumn  trees  without  fruit,  twice  dead,  plucked  up  by  the  roots; 
wild  waves  of  the  sea,  foaming  out  their  own  shame;  wander- 
ing stars,  for  whom  the  blackness  of  darkness  hath  been  re- 
served forever"  (12,  13).  This  sin  of  selfishness  is  a  very 
harmful  and  ruinous  one  whatever  position  one  may  assume  or 
whatever  claims  one  may  make  as  a  follower  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 


158 


Barriers 


Selfishness  is  the  great  menace  to  the  unity  and  progress 
of  everj'  congregation,  every  community',  every  denomination, 
the  whole  body  of  Christian  people.  It  is  a  very  special  danger 
which  is  so  exceedingly  liable  to  creep  into  the  midst  of  God's 
people  everywhere  and  make  more  or  less  havoc  of  the  Lord's 
work  by  its  awakening  of  envieS;  jealousies,  suspicions,  antip- 
athies, illwills,  strife,  contention,  division.  What  a  host  of 
congregations  have  been  injured  in  their  work  and  how  many 
of  them  ruined  by  such  fruits  of  selfishness  as  these!  What 
an  injury  has  been  done,  for  instance,  by  those  common  forms 
of  selfishness  known  as  envy  and  jealousy!  These  arc  futile 
in  themselves  and  a  barrier  to  everything  that  is  worth  while. 
The  person  who  gives  way  to  envy  or  jealousy  not  only  fails 
to  achieve  any  good,  but  also  loses  everything  of  value  which 
might  have  been  won  by  a  spirit  of  resignation  and  the  will- 
ingness to  be  last  until  called  upon  to  be  first. 

Rare  indeed  is  the  church  which  has  not  been  disturbed 
and  its  work  injured  by  jealousy.  One  member  refuses  to 
serve  on  a  reception  committee  because  some  other  member  is 
chairman.  The  reception  goes  on  and  is  a  success  without 
him.  But  his  jealousy  and  refusal  to  take  part  cast  a  shadow 
over  an  otherwise  perfect  evening.  This  form  of  selfishness, 
which  seldom  effects  a  change  in  the  plans  of  others,  leads  to 
sulks,  and  the  next  step  to  sulking  is  unkind  criticism,  and 
unkindness  cannot  go  far  without  becoming  untruthful.  It  is 
a  short  course  and  quickly  run,  from  jealousy  to  complete 
loss  of  spiritual  power,  and  to  the  loss  of  the  consciousness  of 
God's  love.  Often  the  envious  or  the  jealous  person  has  real 
ability  whose  benefit  the  church  fails  to  receive  because  of  his 
besetting  sin.  His  talents  otherwise  would  have  made  him 
very  useful  and  helpful  to  the  church's  activities,  but  his  spirit 
was  a  cause  of  weakness  rather  than  his  talents  a  source  of 
power. 


Selfishness 


159 


How  much  the  efficiency  of  many  a  congregation  has  been 
weakened  by  touchiness,  or  readiness  to  take  offense,  another 
acute  form  of  selfishness.    These  "  touchy  people  "  are  to  be 
found  almost  everywhere.    They  are  very  ready  to  be  of- 
fended at  any  apparent  sleight  or  neglect  which  they  may 
receive  at  the  hand  of  their  fellow  Christians.    They  want 
some  special  recognition  of  their  talents  and  attainments  and 
unless  this  recognition  is  promptly  given  they  become  incensed 
and  withhold  their  fellowship  and  support  from  the  church 
where  they  have  been  offended.    Having  low  standards  of 
Christian  duty  they  readily  take  umbrage  when  higher  stand- 
ards are  urged  upon  them.    However  kind  may  be  any  criti- 
cism or  suggestion  in  regard  to  some  service  they  may  be 
rendering,  they  become  angry  and  soon  want  to  sever  their 
connection  with  those  who  have  awakened  their  illwill.  It 
has  been  said,  and  with  a  high  degree  of  truthfulness,  that  the 
greatest  hindrance  to  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  church 
is  "  grouches."    How  often  it  occurs  that  one  member  will 
"  take  a  grouch  "  at  another  and  won't  speak,  or  won't  work 
on  some  committee,  or  won't  support  the  church  by  regular 
attendance  and  liberal  contributions!    This  spirit  of  selfish- 
ness not  unfrequently  manifests  its  presence  and  power  in  the 
disposition  to  rule  or  to  ruin  the  work  in  which  the  church  is 
engaged.    The  formation  of  rival  and  contentious  parties,  or 
groups  of  members,  for  the  gaining  or  maintaining  of  personal 
and  selfish  ends  has  wrought  much  damage  to  the  unity  and  to 
the  life  and  work  of  many  a  congregation.    O  that  the  depths 
of  the  wickedness  of  this  soul-destroying  and  church-ruining 
malady  might  be  realized,  deplored,  and  feared  as  a  personal 
defect  by  every  member  in  all  our  congregations! 

This  same  evil  is  a  great  peril  of  the  church  in  all  its  wider 
and  larger  aspects.  It  has  often  been  a  fundamental  cause 
of  great  significance  in  the  formation  and  preservation  of  hostile 


i6o 


Barriers 


elements  and  parties  within  denominations,  as  well  as  of  the 
divisions  that  have  resulted.  Many  a  denomination  has  been 
wracked  and  torn  because  the  spirit  of  self-interest  and  selfish 
personal  attachments  dominated  the  minds  of  those  who  were 
seeking  some  personal  advantage.  These  may  possibly  have 
thought,  because  of  their  self-righteous  opinion  of  themselves, 
that  they  were  fighting  the  battles  of  the  Lord,  but  others 
did  not  fail  to  see  the  selfish  spirit  that  was  manifest  in  their 
contentions.  This  ensnaring  evil  of  selfishness  has  been  a  very 
effective  cause  in  producing  the  present  divided  condition  of 
the  church  and  will  remain  a  potent  cause  for  the  continuance 
of  these  divisions,  or  any  extension  of  them  which  may 
transpire.  Selfishness  is  sure  to  have  a  large  place  on  the 
one  side  or  the  other  in  every  bitter  contest  and  in  every 
separation  that  divides  the  church  and  multiplies  denomina- 
tions. It  has  wrought  much  evil  in  the  past,  is  still  a  harm- 
ful power  in  the  present,  and  will  continue  in  the  future 
to  do  great  injury  to  individual  Christian  lives,  and  to  the 
progress  and  welfare  of  the  church.  It  has  been  a  great 
barrier  to  the  cause  of  Christian  unity  among  denominations 
and  will  hinder  the  attainment  of  any  greater  unity  until  its 
true  nature  is  realized,  its  awful  wickedness  recognized,  and  its 
seductions  resisted  and  overcome. 

The  early  Christian  Church  soon  began  to  be  alTected  with 
this  evil.  A  case  was  quickly  discovered  which  was  rebuked 
and  punished  in  such  a  way  as  to  manifest  the  divine  dis- 
pleasure and  to  cause  great  fear  to  come  upon  all  that  heard 
it.  In  course  of  time  other  cases  began  to  arise  and  were 
admonished,  rebuked,  punished.  The  apostles  gave  solemn 
warnings  and  earnest  exhortations  in  regard  to  its  appear- 
ance and  development  in  the  church.  Their  teaching  and  the 
manifestation  of  the  divine  displeasure  were  effective  to  a  re- 
markable degree  in  restraining  it  in  those  early  days.  For 


Selfishness 


i6i 


two  or  three  centuries  a  high  standard  of  purity  and  of  free- 
dom from  its  ruinous  ef¥ects  gave  great  prosperity  and  rapid 
growth  to  the  church.  In  those  days  the  evidences  of  an  un- 
selfish spirit  among  the  followers  of  Christ  were  very  great 
and  abundant.  Gibbon  admits  this  fact.  Without  material 
agencies  and  worldly  influences  the  church  founded  by  Jesus 
and  His  apostles  grew  mightily  and  prevailed.  In  the  lives, 
fellowship,  and  intercourse,  of  its  members  there  were  abound- 
ing proofs  of  the  power  of  the  gospel  to  give  to  men  the  spirit 
of  self-renunciation  and  of  self-denial,  and  to  deliver  them 
from  the  reign  and  ruin  of  this  sin  of  selfishness.  In  those 
days  the  mission  of  the  church  was  well  wrought  out  and 
its  blessings  multiplied. 

In  like  manner  throughout  the  whole  history  of  the  organi- 
zation of  God's  people  the  days  of  greatest  prosperity  and 
efficiency  in  their  work  has  been  the  days  when  the  spirit  of 
unselfishness  most  perfectly  prevailed.  On  the  other  hand 
their  days  of  greatest  weakness  and  want  of  power  have  been 
the  days  when  the  spirit  of  selfishness  was  most  abounding. 
Thus  it  was  during  the  era  of  the  Jewish  church.  Its  days  of 
greatest  prosperity  and  of  greatest  usefulness  and  blessing  to 
the  people  were  its  days  of  devotion  to  the  worship  of  Jehovah 
and  of  the  mutual  goodwill  and  helpfulness  of  the  people  of 
Jehovah  toward  one  another.  Its  days  of  greatest  weakness 
and  inability  to  stand  before  the  face  of  its  enemies  were  the 
days  in  which  the  chosen  people  were  the  most  selfish  in  all 
their  conduct  and  relationships  with  men.  When  the  long 
expected  Messiah  came  the  Jewish  church  was  so  fully  per- 
vaded with  the  selfish  spirit  that  it  was  impossible  for  Him 
to  change  its  character  and  life.  While  He  wept  tears  of 
sadness  over  its  lamentable  condition.  He  announced  the 
complete  desolation  which  was  soon  to  come  upon  it  as  a  judg- 
ment for  its  sin.    Thus  it  has  been  during  the  era  of  the 


Barriers 


Christian  church.  Whenever  and  wherever  the  spirit  of  self- 
ishness gained  a  strong  hold  upon  the  life  and  the  religious 
activities  of  its  leaders  and  its  people,  its  moral  and  spiritual 
power  sadly  waned  and  the  fulfillment  of  its  mission  miser- 
ably failed.  Whenever  and  wherever  it  became  revived  and 
reformed  in  the  awakening  of  a  new  spirit  of  obedience  to 
Christ  and  of  brotherhood  and  service  toward  man,  it  be- 
came a  great  power  in  saving  and  uplifting  men,  and  in  bring- 
ing to  them  many  of  the  blessings  of  Christ's  Kingdom. 
Sometimes  the  organization  of  a  new  denomination  has  been 
the  result  of  a  protest  against  some  form  of  selfishness  in  an 
older  church,  and  when  the  superior  unselfishness  of  the  new 
organization  was  obvious  to  all,  it  prospered  and  became  a 
power  for  righteousness  in  the  world.  When  in  turn  it  be- 
came deeply  affected  with  this  insidious  evil,  its  tide  of  pros- 
perity and  power  decreased  until  it  reached  a  low  level.  Per- 
haps the  older  church  was  led  to  see  the  error  of  its  way 
through  the  power  of  the  protest  which  was  made  against  it, 
and  began  to  cultivate  and  show  a  new  attitude  and  spirit 
of  Christian  love.  Such  a  change  would  bring  to  it  a  new 
era  of  prosperity  and  power.  According  to  its  freedom  from 
this  ensnaring  and  deceptive  sin  of  selfishness  has  the  church 
at  any  time  and  place  been  most  successful  and  eflFective  in  the 
fulfillment  of  its  great  mission. 

Until  the  present  war  had  made  considerable  progress  the 
spirit  of  selfishness  was  very  marked  almost  everywhere.  The 
disposition  to  look  out  very  exclusively  for  number  one  was 
very  prevalent  and  multitudes  believed  this  to  be  the  true 
philosophy  of  life.  But  the  necessities  of  the  case  in  this 
great  war  are  working  a  great  change  in  the  minds  of  multi- 
tudes. The  spirit  of  cooperation  and  a  deep  feeling  of  in- 
terest in  the  other  man  or  woman  have  taken  deep  root.  The 
recognition  of  human  brotherhood  and  of  the  solidarity  of 


Selfishness 


163 


the  whole  human  race  has  entered  the  minds  of  many  to  re- 
main. But  the  age  in  which  we  have  just  been  living  has 
been  a  very  selfish  age.  It  was  the  natural  product  of  the 
individualism  so  prevalent  in  modern  times.  It  has  been  an 
age  of  personal  speculation,  of  the  rapid  growth  of  private 
fortunes,  of  money  madness,  of  shoddy  adulterations,  of  foolish 
pride,  and  of  sensuous  indulgences.  Almost  ever>-  man  has 
been  eagerly  seeking  his  own  and  not  another's  wealth,  com- 
fort, progress,  pleasure,  power,  joy,  happiness.  Many  have 
been  delighted  to  quote  the  lines: 

"  To  thine  own  self  be  true; 
And  it  must  follow  as  the  night  the  day, 
Thou  canst  not  then  be  false  to  any  man," 

and  to  see  in  them  the  expression  of  a  philosophy  which  makes 
self  the  sole  arbiter  of  life.  But  a  new  spirit  has  arisen. 
It  is  a  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  and  unselfishness.  It  has  shown 
itself  in  great  perfection  on  the  battlefield,  behind  the  lines, 
in  the  place  of  pestilence  and  among  the  starving  villages. 
It  has  shown  itself,  too,  in  a  very  admirable  way  in  the  willing 
surrender  of  business  interests  and  of  comforts  of  the  home, 
the  giving  up  of  loved  ones,  and  the  devotion  of  time  and 
talent  to  war  work,  on  the  part  of  millions.  A  new  and 
remarkable  phase  of  brotherly  love  and  charity  has  swept 
over  a  large  part  of  the  world  and  is  being  exemplified  in  a 
wonderful  way.  Will  this  spirit  continue  to  abound  after  this 
great  war  has  ended?  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  abounding  more 
and  more  it  may  last  on  and  on  and  on.  What  shall  be  the  ef- 
fect of  this  new  spirit  upon  the  church?  Will  it  harmonize  its 
parts  and  bind  them  into  one?  It  will  certainly  be  helpful 
to  this  end. 

And  yet  there  are  some  who  have  not  caught  this  spirit  of 
goodwill  and  self-denial  as  it  relates  to  national  conditions 


164 


Barriers 


and  affairs.  They  are  "  slackers  "  in  a  time  of  special  need. 
They  are  unwilling  to  cooperate  and  sacrifice  for  the  good 
of  all.  The  spirit  of  self-interest  continues  to  dominate  their 
lives,  and  they  make  themselves  a  special  hindrance  to  their 
country's  cause  and  to  the  good  of  all  humanity.  And  thus 
most  likely  it  will  be  until  the  war  is  ended  when  their  self- 
ishness will  still  remain  a  menace  to  some  other  cause.  And 
thus  it  is  and  will  be  in  the  church.  There  are  and  will  be 
those  who  put  their  selfish  interests,  desires,  and  aims  above 
those  of  all  others.  They  are  not  moved  by  love  and  gen- 
erosity to  seek  the  general  good.  Their  pride  of  opinion  in 
regard  to  some  particular  views,  their  unreasonable  attach- 
ment to  some  particular  denomination,  their  special  zeal  for 
the  particular  organization  to  which  they  belong,  and  kindred 
selfish  motives,  makes  them  a  positive  menace  to  the  larger 
interests  and  welfare  of  the  whole  body  of  Christian  believers. 
All  such  are  a  special  hindrance  to  the  cause  of  greater  unity. 

It  is  specially  predicted  that  in  the  last  days  this  evil  shall 
abound.  "  But  know  this,  that  in  the  last  days  grievous  times 
shall  come.  For  men  shall  be  lovers  of  self  "  (I  Tim.  3:  i,  2). 
These  lovers  of  self  are  also  charged  with  a  long  catalogue 
of  other  and  kindred  evil  qualities  which  are  sure  to  follow 
in  its  wake.  Among  other  things  they  will  have  "  a  form 
of  godliness  "  whose  power  they  deny.  They  will  be  active 
members  of  the  church  and  very  observant  of  certain  religious 
rites  and  forms,  while  the  love  of  self  will  be  the  ruling  pas- 
sion of  their  lives.  The  last  days  are  not  yx  fully  past.  No 
doubt  this  prediction  has  already  been  fulfilled,  and  possibly 
many  times,  but  has  an  application  yet  to  come.  This  predic- 
tion contains  a  solemn  warning  to  be  on  guard  against  the 
beginning  and  growth  of  any  undue  love  of  self.  The  present 
check  on  selfishness,  caused  by  the  great  demands  growing 
out  of  the  world's  greatest  war,  may  cease  ere  long  to  have 


Selfishness 


165 


its  force  and  new  forms  and  more  intense  energ>'  in  the  mani- 
festation of  self-love  may  arise.  Being  so  native  to  the  human 
heart  and  so  insidious  in  the  gaining  of  its  power,  it  is  liable 
to  become  a  dominating  factor  in  men's  lives  at  almost  any 
time  and  to  become  a  great  barrier  to  the  church's  progress. 
I  Dr.  Horatius  Bonar  once  had  a  dream,  it  is  said,  in  which 
the  angels  took  his  religious  zeal  and  weighed  it  in  the  balance. 
It  was  full  weight,  plump  one  hundred.  He  was  very  much 
pleased.  But  when  they  began  to  analyze  it  in  various  ways, 
they  found  that  fourteen  parts  of  it  were  selfishness;  fifteen 
parts  sectarianism ;  twenty-two  parts  ambition ;  and  that  only 
three  parts  of  it  were  pure  love  to  man  and  only  four  parts 
of  it  pure  love  to  God.  It  became  to  him  a  matter  of  great 
concern  that  only  seven  parts  out  of  one  hundred  in  his  devo- 
tion to  Christian  service  were  truly  and  purely  good.  This 
dream  is  very  suggestive,  to  say  the  least,  of  every  Christian's 
personal  danger  and  of  the  place  possible  to  selfishness  in  our 
denominational  zeal. 


SECTARIANISM 


OVE  of  one's  own  church  is  natural  and  right.  Such 


childhood  into  youth  and  from  youth  into  manhood  and 
womanhood.  It  is  first  given  to  one's  teacher  and  class  in  the 
Bible  School,  and  later  to  the  congregation  in  which  one  is 
reared.  The  persons,  the  place,  and  the  forms  of  worship 
and  service  become  the  objects  of  affection.  As  the  circle  of 
acquaintance  widens  to  the  people  and  activities  of  other 
churches  holding  the  same  particular  views  and  having  the 
same  forms  of  worship  denominational  love  is  awakened  and 
developed.  And  why  not?  To  every  Christian  the  church 
with  which  his  life  has  been  associated  has  been  the  source  of 
many  blessings.  It  has  secured  for  him  his  faith  as  a  follower 
of  Jesus  Christ  and  been  to  him  the  means  of  developing  his 
best  and  noblest  affections  and  aspirations.  It  has  inspired 
within  him  his  worthiest  purposes  and  aims.  It  has  stimulated 
the  best  activities  of  his  mind  and  heart  and  given  impetus  and 
direction  in  the  formation  of  his  purest  and  most  refined 
tastes.  It  has  provided  him  with  uplifting  social  advantages 
and  opportunities  and  been  an  elevating  influence  in  the  de- 
velopment of  his  social  nature  and  qualities.  The  responsive- 
ness of  his  whole  mental  and  moral  nature  prompts  him  to  the 
indulgence  of  a  strong  affection  for  the  institution  which  brings 
to  him  so  many  blessings.  Besides,  the  Scriptures  teach  that 
love  for  the  church  is  an  important  Christian  duty,  and  it  is 
in  the  natural  order  of  development  to  love  first  that  particular 
part  of  the  church  which  we  have  come  to  know.  Continued 
intercourse,  fellowship,  and  instruction,  in  any  church  are 
suited  to  produce  attachment  to  its  special  forms  of  worship, 


grows  as  one  passes  from 


i66 


Sectarianism 


167 


its  special  type  of  Christian  character,  its  special  methods  of 
administration,  and  its  particular  forms  of  doctrine  and  belief. 
The  knowledge  of  its  struggles,  its  victories,  and  its  heroes  in 
past  generations  will  insure  increased  devotion  to  its  cause 
and  interests. 

But  there  are  limitations  to  this  love.  It  may  become  ab- 
normal, unreasonable,  selfish,  narrow,  and  unchristian.  It  is 
a  most  excellent  and  commendable  affection  when  it  is  modi- 
fied and  moulded  by  the  presence  and  power  of  other  kindred 
affections  as  grev.  or  greater  than  itself.  But  unless  it  is  so 
modified  and  m  julded  it  will  become  sectarian  and  hence  one- 
sided and  narrow  in  its  range  of  application.  For  what  is 
sectarianism  but  excessive  and  unbalanced  love  for  one's  own 
denomination  irrespective  of  the  worthy  characteristics  and 
rights  of  all  others?  What  is  it  but  immoderate  and  undue 
adherence  to  some  particular  statement  or  formula  of  religious 
teaching?  What  is  it  but  immoderate  devotion  to  a  particular 
group  and  type  of  Christian  worshippers  and  workers?  What 
is  it  but  excessive  allegiance  to  some  particular  form  of  church 
government,  when  the  special  advocates  of  other  forms  can,  to 
their  own  satisfaction,  prove  them  to  be  in  harmony  with  the 
teaching  of  the  Scriptures?  What  is  it  but  a  special  form  of 
selfishness  which  readily  manifests  itself  in  denominational 
pride  and  vainglory?  What  is  it  but  undue  devotion  to  some 
segregated  part  of  Christ's  body  which  has  cut  itself  off  and 
remains  cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  body?  It  is  sometimes 
characterized  by  a  positive  dislike  and  antagonism  to  other 
parts  of  the  whole  body  and  especially  those  parts  which  most 
seem  to  interfere  with  its  own  desires  and  efforts.  It  leads 
every  sect  to  live  for  itself  and  is  not  so  much  concerned  about 
the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  it  is  established  or  is 
striving  to  establish  itself  as  about  its  own  advancement.  It  is 
sometimes  ready  to  employ  the  most  questionable  methods  and 


Barriers 


plans  for  the  gaining  of  some  special  advantage  and  power 
over  the  other  denominations  in  the  same  community.  It  not 
infrequently  lays  great  stress  upon  those  qualities  and  instru- 
mentalities by  which  popularity  and  material  gains  can  be 
secured,  rather  than  upon  the  things  most  fundamental  to 
Christ's  Kingdom.  It  too  often  inspires  and  uses  means  to 
gain  new  members  from  other  churches  that  are  worthy  of 
the  gravest  censure. 

Ardent  sectarians  are  ever  ready  to  justify  the  existence  of 
divisions.  They  have  always  claimed  that  such  divisions  are 
necessary  for  the  peace  of  the  church,  that  the  only  way  to 
stop  and  prevent  strife  and  bitter  contentions  is  by  separation. 
No  doubt  church  quarrels  are  among  the  bitterest  of  quarrels. 
No  doubt  the  opposition  and  antagonism  often  becomes  intense 
and  violent.  But  does  separation  and  division  stop  the  strife 
and  contention  and  bring  peace?  What  does  the  past  show? 
Does  it  not  show  that  peace  gained  in  this  way  is  very  brief 
and  uncertain?  Does  it  not  show  that  the  struggle  in  many 
cases  merely  changes  its  location  and  becomes  a  struggle  with 
another  denomination  rather  than  a  struggle  within  itself? 
Separation  does  not  stop  the  spirit  of  strife  and  contention. 
This  spirit,  which  ought  to  be  entirely  foreign  to  the  church 
becomes  interdenominational  rather  than  intradenominational. 
Thus  it  has  proceeded  until  we  have  in  America  enough  divi- 
sions to  insure  perfect  peace  if  this  were  the  right  way  to 
secure  it.  But  it  has  failed,  miserably  failed,  as  a  peace 
measure.  It  has  rather  multiplied  and  intensified  the  outward 
causes  and  occasions  of  contest  and  strife.  What  is  needed 
is  not  separation  and  division  but  a  new  spirit  of  love  and 
forbearance.  Besides,  differences  as  great  as  many  that  have 
caused  division  often  exist  within  denominations.  In  most  of 
them  such  differences  are  found,  but  are  so  modified,  moder- 
ated, and  restrained  as  to  prevent  separation.    The  claim  that 


Sectarianism 


169 


division  is  justifiable  as  a  means  of  gaining  peace  is  fallacious. 
It  only  means  a  drawn  battle  to  be  resumed  in  interdenomina- 
tional strife.  The  true  panacea  is  that  love  that  "  suffereth 
long  and  is  kind." 

Another  claim  of  the  sectarians  is  that  denominations  are 
necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  creeds.  They  are  wont  to 
assert  that  distinctive  creeds  could  not  be  formed  and  ef- 
fectively propagated  without  the  existence  of  an  organized 
denomination  to  back  and  defend  them.  But  is  it  so?  Are 
there  not  creeds  formulated  and  propagated  effectively  with- 
out denominational  backing  and  support?  As  an  instance  take 
the  creed  of  premillennialism.  This  creed  has  been  fully 
formulated  and  very  effectively  propagated  within  all  the 
denominations  and  without  denominational  support  and  promo- 
tion. Another  instance  is  that  of  the  new  theology.  Its  creed 
has  been  propagated  in  every  denomination  rather  than  in  one, 
though  gaining  more  rapidly  in  some  than  in  others.  Another 
instance  is  the  creed  of  evolution  in  relation  to  theological 
belief  and  statement.  Believers  in  the  theory  and  creed  of 
evolution  are  found  in  every  denomination  and  no  one  sect 
is  exclusively  devoted  to  its  support  and  advancement.  Such 
instances  show  the  fallacy  of  the  claim  that  denominations  are 
necessary  for  the  support  and  defense  of  creeds.  In  addition, 
there  is  the  fact  that  there  are  very  few  ministers  or  members 
who  accept,  support,  and  defend,  the  whole  of  their  denomina- 
tional creed.  They  find  some  part  or  parts  of  it  out  of  har- 
mony with  their  belief.  They  find  enough  of  it  which  they 
are  ready  to  support  to  make  for  them  a  working  basis,  prob- 
ably the  best  for  them  to  be  found  anywhere,  and  continue 
earnest  workers  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 

Another  claim  of  the  ardent  sectarians,  closely  related  to 
the  last,  is  that  denominations  are  necessary  to  secure  fidelity 
to  the  truth.    It  is  inevitably  assumed  by  them  that  the  truth 


I70 


Barriers 


for  which  the  denomination  assumes  to  stand  is  very  important 
and  needs  to  be  especially  emphasized.  But  all  essential  truth 
is  non-denominational.  It  belongs  exclusively  to  no  one  sect, 
but  is  the  property  of  all.  The  interpretations  for  which  de- 
nominations stand  are  merely  personal  or  group  opinions  about 
the  truth  and  are  not  necessarily  the  truth  itself.  These  inter- 
pretations are  not  essential  to  salvation.  Men,  women,  and 
children  are  being  saved  in  all  the  churches,  irrespective  of 
their  denominational  affiliations,  which  could  not  be  the  case 
if  the  acceptance  of  any  particular  denominational  standard  is 
essential  to  salvation.  These  particular  beliefs  about  the  truth 
no  doubt  are  very  helpful  to  the  Christians  who  accept  them 
in  living  the  Christian  life,  but  the  salvation  of  these  believers 
does  not  depend  upon  their  attachment  and  allegiance  to  any, 
or  to  all  of  these  beliefs.  Besides,  the  sectarian's  view  of  truth 
is  only  partial.  He  fastens  his  mind  upon  some  special  phase 
or  view  of  truth  and  so  neglects  every  other  phase  that  he  is 
liable  to  get  only  a  distorted  and  imperfect  apprehension  of  its 
full  meaning  and  compass.  The  truth  which  he  seems  to  see  is 
not  the  whole  truth  but  a  partial  and  too  often  a  perverted 
view  of  it,  so  that  the  sectarian  as  a  defender  and  propagator 
of  the  truth  is  a  failure,  and  often  a  very  harmful  one. 

Another  claim  of  the  ardent  sectarian  is  that  denominations 
produce  a  healthy  rivalry  which  is  good  for  the  cause  of 
Christianity.  They  assume  that,  according  to  an  old  business 
maxim  which  teaches  that  competition  is  the  life  of  trade, 
competition  is  conducive  to  the  growth  and  welfare  of  the 
church.  But  they  forget  that  in  the  business  world  there  are 
various  grades  and  kinds  of  competition  and  that  theories  of 
competition  have  been  greatly  modified  during  these  later 
years.  There  have  been  kinds  of  competition  in  business  that 
were  very  ruinous  and  it  is  very  questionable  whether  any  kind 
has  been  highly  beneficial.    So  it  has  been  in  the  church. 


Sectarianism 


171 


Methods  and  kinds  of  competition  too  often  employed  in  the 
church  have  been  too  much  like  the  "  cut  throat  competition  " 
of  former  business  times  and  have  wrought  much  harm  to  all 
concerned.  And  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  any  kind  of 
competition  among  the  churches  can  be  looked  upon  as  really 
beneficial.  At  least  such  competition  as  awakens  pride  and 
vainglory  on  the  one  hand  or  jealousy  and  envy  on  the  other 
is  injurious.  And  such  has  been  the  kind  too  commonly  in 
vogue.  The  efforts  among  the  churches  to  get  the  new 
families  which  move  into  their  community  are  not  merely 
strenuous,  but  often  very  unbecoming  and  reproachful  to  the 
cause  of  Christianity.  Every  possible  method  which  the  in- 
genuity of  man  can  invent  is  employed  to  gain  such  families. 

Another  claim  is  that  the  divisions  of  the  churches  are  like 
the  divisions  of  an  army  which  are  necessary  to  its  control  and 
efficiency.  But  there  are  marked  and  serious  differences  be- 
tween the  divisions  of  an  army  and  the  divisions  of  the  church. 
The  army  is  a  unit  in  regard  to  its  highest  visible  authority 
and  control.  It  is  a  unit,  too,  in  regard  to  its  local  organi- 
zation and  action.  The  church  is  divided  in  its  general  ad- 
ministration and  in  its  local  control  and  action.  These  two 
points  of  difference  are  radical  and  show  the  fallacy  of  the 
comparison  of  the  divisions  of  the  church  to  the  divisions  of 
an  army.  To  be  like  the  divisions  of  an  army  the  divisions 
of  the  church  must  be  under  one  visible  controlling  power  and 
be  a  unit  in  its  local  organization  and  effort.  As  it  is  now 
every  community  is  an  uncertain  mixture  of  several  sects  and 
no  one  denomination  has  any  direction  of  the  work  of  an- 
other. It  may  be  willing  to  receive  greetings  and  suggestions 
from  another,  but  feels  its  independence  in  regard  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  its  own  affairs,  and  with  reference  to  its  own 
interests.  An  army  constructed  on  this  plan  could  have  no 
great  efficiency,  and  its  success  against  a  well  organized  army 


172 


Barriers 


would  be  impossible.  It  would  be  fitted  only  for  guerrilla 
warfare.  The  greater  unity  of  the  church  in  harmony  with 
the  real  unity  of  an  effective  and  victorious  army  in  both  its 
general  and  local  authority  and  administration  would  greatly 
increase  the  church's  efficiency  and  success. 

Another  claim  of  the  ardent  sectarian  is  that  denominations 
are  essential  to  liberty  of  conscience  on  the  part  of  many  de- 
voted and  earnest  Christians.  In  the  name  of  liberty  of  con- 
science one  denomination  after  another  has  been  formed  until 
the  number  of  them  is  almost  a  host.  In  every  case  has  been 
the  assumption  that  conscience  must  be  free  in  every  particular 
in  order  that  worship  may  be  true  and  uplifting.  Here  is 
the  conjunction  of  two  very  important  things:  namely,  liberty 
and  conscience,  whose  right  adjustment  to  each  other  may  be 
difficult  but  not  impossible.  The  Bible  teaches  that  true  liberty 
consists  in  doing  what  is  right  and  not  in  doing  what  we 
will.  Conscience  is  the  faculty  which  tells  us  what  is  right. 
Hence  liberty  and  conscience  are  rightly  joined  in  both  the 
theory  and  practice  of  Christian  duty.  But  the  difficulty  is 
in  the  waverings  of  conscience  and  at  the  same  time  the  desire 
to  do  our  own  will  rather  than  what  is  right. 

Our  consciences  are  very  important  guides,  but  are  not  in- 
fallible as  such.  They  are  very  much  like  the  mariner's  com- 
pass which  is  a  very  necessary  guide  in  the  sailing  of  the  ocean, 
but  which  occasionally  needs  verification  and  correction. 
Many  a  vessel  has  gone  wrong  and  been  doomed  because  its 
compass  was  untrue  and  many  a  soul  hc.s  gone  wrong  and 
lost  the  way  because  its  conscience  was  not  true  to  right  and 
wrong.  The  verification  of  the  compass  is  a  matter  of  serious 
importance  in  navigation.  "  The  vessel  is  moored,  and  by 
means  of  warps  to  certain  government  buoys,  she  is  placed 
with  her  head  toward  the  various  points  of  the  compass,  one 
after  another.    The  bearing  of  her  compass  on  board,  in- 


Sectarianism 


173 


fluenced  as  that  is  by  the  attraction  of  the  iron  she  carries,  is 
taken  accurately  by  one  observer  in  the  vessel,  and  the  true 
bearing  is  signalled  to  him  by  another  observer  on  the  shore, 
who  has  a  compass  out  of  reach  of  the  local  attraction  of  the 
ship.  The  error  in  each  position  is  thus  ascertained,  and  the 
necessary  corrections  are  made."  A  process  something  like 
this  is  very  necessary  in  the  verification  of  every  man's  con- 
science as  the  guide  of  his  barque  in  sailing  on  the  sea  of  life. 
It  is  worthy  of  note  that  one  compass  is  used  to  verify  an- 
other and  that  the  one  used  to  make  the  correction  is  the  one 
free  from  the  influences  which  surround  the  other  and  cause 
it  to  err.  The  vessel's  compass  is  uncertain  because  of  the 
material  on  board.  This  is  just  what  happens  to  the  con- 
science. It  is  always  liable  to  be  deflected  from  the  right  by 
the  materialistic  state  and  condition  of  its  surroundings  in 
human  nature,  and  often  is  greatly  deflected  from  the 
meridian  of  truth  by  these  surroundings.  Every  man's  con- 
science is  readily  affected  by  his  disposition,  his  aspirations 
and  ambitions.  Pride  of  opinion  often  has  much  to  do  with 
the  peculiar  vigor  and  stress  of  its  demands,  and  the  course 
to  which  it  urges,  while  the  man  who  is  following  its  guidance 
is  blind  to  its  errors.  The  lust  of  leadership  has  a  very 
subtile,  insidious,  and  injurious  effect  upon  the  nature  of  its 
guidance  in  relation  to  religious  matters  as  well  as  elsewhere. 
The  thirst  for  influence  and  power  is  full  of  potency  to  de- 
flect the  conscience  and  make  it  harmonize  with  its  demands. 
It  is  a  clear  and  open  fact  that  every  man's  conscience  is  af- 
fected very  much  by  what  his  tastes,  attachments,  aims,  and 
aspirations  are  in  life  and  in  relation  to  the  church.  How 
necessary,  therefore,  it  becomes  that  he  should  seek  its  veri- 
fication before  he  starts  on  any  particular  and  important  course 
of  action  in  relation  to  his  own  life  and  in  his  relation  to  the 
church!    This  is  done  by  testing  it  with  other  consciences 


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that  are  free  from  the  deflecting  influences  with  which  his 
is  surrounded, —  the  consciences  of  the  best  and  most  unbiased 
minds,  the  consciences  that  are  truest  to  the  great  Polestar 
of  all  religious  truth,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

In  addition  to  this  deviation  of  the  conscience  from  the 
meridian  of  righteousness  the  will  of  every  man  is  liable  to 
become  more  or  less  perverted,  and  often,  indeed,  becomes  so. 
Men  not  only  err  in  vision,  but  often  will  to  do  so.  They  re- 
fuse all  methods  of  verifying  their  conscientious  convictions, 
but  persist  in  their  demands  that  these  convictions  are  right 
and  must  be  recognized.  An  erring  conscience  and  perverted 
will  can  work  much  havoc  in  the  name  of  liberty.  How  true 
the  words  of  Madame  Roland:  "O  liberty!  liberty!  how 
many  crimes  have  been  committed  in  thy  name !  " 

Both  the  deviation  of  the  conscience  and  the  perversity  of 
the  human  will  are  fully  recognized  in  the  Scriptures.  They 
point  out  that  some  consciences  are  weak,  some  ignorant,  some 
seared,  some  evil,  and  some  defiled,  while  others  are  pure, 
and  good,  and  void  of  ofFense.  They  also  teach  us  to  respect 
the  consciences  of  other  men  and  to  refrain  from  demanding 
liberty  of  conscience  in  our  religious  conduct  when  the  con- 
sciences of  others  may  be  wronged.  It  is  very  significant  that 
liberty  of  conscience  for  ourselves  is  the  very  thing  we  are 
taught  not  to  demand  when  it  is  at  variance  with  the  con- 
sciences of  others.  And  yet  this  is  the  very  thing  that  is  de- 
manded when  such  liberty  is  made  the  ground  of  separation, 
and  of  a  new  denomination.  The  testing  and  verifying  of  our 
own  with  the  consciences  of  others  involves  an  appeal  to  rea- 
son, that  king  of  all  our  faculties,  and  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
whose  special  mission  it  is  to  give  enlightenment  and  guidance 
to  those  who  seek  sincerely  and  earnestly  to  find  the  right  inter- 
pretation of  the  Scriptures  and  to  discover  the  right  pathway 
in  all  religious  duties.    This  verification  will  involve  the  at- 


Sectarianism 


175 


titudc  of  our  mind  and  heart  toward  the  teaching  of  God's 
word  and  the  mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  regard  to  Christian 
unity  and  toward  the  importance  and  excellence  of  those  graces 
and  virtues  which  make  for  such  unity. 

In  view  of  all  this,  the  theory,  that  liberty  of  conscience  is  a 
just  ground  for  the  divisions  of  the  church,  is  seen  to  be 
fallacious.  It  assumes  that  the  consciences  of  those  who  plan 
and  perpetuate  divisions  on  this  claim  are  always  right  and  that 
their  wills  are  free  from  all  perversion  in  their  claim  of  liberty. 
This  is  too  great  an  assumption.  The  errancy  and  frailty  of 
human  nature  makes  it  so. 

Having  seen  that  the  special  claims  of  the  ardent  sectarian 
are  rather  fallacious,  it  may  be  well  to  note  that  there  are  a 
number  of  possible  injuries  that  may  arise  from  his  principle 
and  practice  of  unduly  magnifying  and  exalting  denomina- 
tional interests,  and  to  enumerate  a  few  of  them.  These  pos- 
sibilities of  harm  are  varied,  serious,  and  extensive.  They  re- 
late both  to  the  individual  and  to  the  church,  and  have  often 
been  manifested  in  the  histor>'  of  denominations.  They  show 
the  danger  and  the  evil  of  making  sectarianism  prominent  in 
the  life  and  work  of  any  church.  The  harmful  tendency  of 
such  a  course  is  suggested  by  the  following  particulars: 

1.  It  is  conducive  to  the  growth  of  selfishness  in  the  life  of 
every  member.  It  has  a  philosophy  of  selfishness  which  per- 
vades the  minds  of  all  who  come  under  its  influence.  It  causes 
them  to  magnify  their  own  group  interests  at  the  expense  of 
all  others,  however  worthy  and  honorable  the  others  may  be. 
It  inspires  them  to  seek  their  own  comfort,  enjoyment,  and 
advantage  irrespective  of  the  welfare  of  others,  or  perhaps  in 
antagonism  to  this  welfare.  It  makes  them  willing  to  injure 
and  destroy  the  prospects  of  other  denominations  for  sake  of 
some  real  or  supposed  advantage  to  their  own. 

2.  It  has  been  very  frequently  the  source  of  contention  and 


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strife.  The  selfish  feelings  it  is  likely  to  awaken  are  sure  to  find 
expression  in  unbecoming  Christian  conduct.  Words  will  be 
spoken  and  criticisms  made  which  are  fitted  to  engender  more 
ill-feeling.  Things  are  quite  likely  to  be  done  that  awaken 
opposition  and  provoke  enmity  and  the  community  is  filled 
with  contention  and  strife  over  disputed  religious  beliefs  and 
practices.  The  peace  of  many  a  village,  town,  and  community, 
has  been  greatly  disturbed  and  destroyed  by  such  strife.  It  is 
not  nearly  so  prevalent  these  later  years  as  it  was  in  former 
times,  and  yet  there  is  enough  of  it  in  various  places  to  show 
that  its  spirit  has  not  changed.  Strong  sectarianism  is  still  the 
promotor  of  suspicion  and  illwill. 

3.  It  destroys  spirituality  and  unfits  men  to  be  spiritual 
leaders  and  guides.  Being  a  particular  form  of  selfishness 
which  leads  to  contention  and  strife  among  those  who  ought 
to  live  as  brethren,  it  diminishes  and  destroys  that  spiritual- 
mindedness  which  is  the  essence  of  true  religion  and  robs  the 
spiritual  affections  of  their  purity  and  power.  It  prevents  all 
possibility  of  any  great  revival.  It  makes  worship  to  be  the 
formal  following  of  ritual,  or  regular  order  and  ceremony 
without  much  thought  of  the  presence  of  God  or  a  spirit  of 
obedience  to  His  will.  Worshippers  whose  hearts  are  domi- 
nated by  the  spirit  of  sectarianism  are  not  in  good  condition  to 
be  moved  by  the  gospel  of  love  and  goodwill.  The  condi- 
tion of  their  minds  prevents  the  noblest  thoughts  and  the 
awakening  of  the  liighest  and  best  aims.  The  indulgence  of 
their  own  tastes,  notions,  and  attachments,  supplants  their 
obedience  to  Jesus'  two  great  commandments  of  love. 

4.  Intense  sectarianism  has  the  power  to  blind  the  reason 
and  judgment  to  the  whole  of  truth.  It  takes  some  portion 
or  portions  of  the  Scriptures  and  decides  upon  its  meaning 
and  right  interpretation  irrespective  of  the  reasoning  ability 
and  the  judgment  of  a  multitude  of  other  Christian  people  who 


Sectarianism 


177 


differ  from  its  view.  It  seeks  to  prevent  the  consideration  of 
any  other  view  than  the  one  it  has  prescribed  and  thus  nar- 
rows the  mind  to  a  particular  groove  and  prevents  the  possi- 
ble apprehension  of  the  whole  truth.  While  it  puts  forth  a 
strong  claim  of  superiority  in  judgment  and  opinion  on  re- 
ligious matters,  it  is  too  often  in  reality  a  limitation  of  the 
power  of  reason  and  judgment,  and  an  incubus  upon  their  full- 
est and  best  activity.  Saul  of  Tarsus  is  a  good  illustration  of 
its  blinding  power.  As  a  thorough  sectarian  he  thought  he 
was  doing  God  service,  he  aftenvards  declared,  when  he  was 
persecuting  the  followers  of  Christ.  He  was  familiar  with  the 
Scriptures,  but  his  interpretation  of  them  was  according  to  the 
teaching  of  his  sect,  and  he  was  blinded  to  their  true  purport 
and  meaning.  The  same  was  true  of  all  the  Pharisees  whom 
Jesus  told  that  they  were  blind  leaders  of  the  blind. 

5.  Excessive  devotion  to  any  one  denomination  has  subtile 
power  to  awaken  prejudice  against  other  denominations.  As 
soon  as  any  one's  devotion  becomes  exceedingly  zealous  for  his 
own,  he  is  easily  persuaded  that  the  people  of  other  denomina- 
tions are  deficient  in  some  special  and  important  religious 
qualities  which  he  and  his  co-religionists  possess.  He  begins 
to  judge  them  as  inferior  in  knowledge,  wisdom,  and  spiritual 
discernment.  He  is  soon  disposed  to  regard  them  as  wanting 
in  some  important  graces  and  virtues.  He  readily  places  a  low 
estimate  upon  the  value  and  significance  of  their  efforts. 
Shortly  he  is  ready  to  treat  their  special  views  as  very  trifling 
and  unworthy  of  any  serious  consideration.  It  readily  prompts 
him  to  cherish  a  low  appreciation  of  all  their  special  forms 
of  worship  and  all  their  methods  of  Christian  work.  It  soon 
gives  bias  to  his  judgment  in  regard  to  their  special  types  of 
Christian  manhood  and  womanhood. 

6.  Sectarian  zeal  readily  engenders  sectarian  pride.  Not 
unfrequently  has  it  led  the  members  of  some  denomination 


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or  other  into  the  persuasion  that  they  were  the  very  best  people 
of  the  land,  the  very  salt  of  the  earth.  In  their  active  devotion 
to  denominational  interests  they  came  to  feel  that  their  church 
was  much  better  than  any  other  and  to  be  puffed  up  with  an 
exalted  idea  if  its  importance  and  value  above  others  to  the 
cause  of  Christianity  in  the  world.  It  has  a  tendency  to  make 
them  conceited  in,  their  own  ecclesiastical  opinions  and  to 
awaken  the  assumption  of  a  superior  degree  of  attainment  in 
the  power  of  spiritual  discernment.  If  often  induces  men  to 
think  that  they  are  righteous  above  others  and  to  claim  by  act, 
if  not  by  word,  their  superiority  in  the  possession  of  Christian 
qualities.  Intense  sectarianism  readily  creates  the  presumption 
that  adherence  to  some  certain  form  of  worship  is  evidence  of 
greater  loyalty  to  the  truth  and  a  more  perfect  spirit  of 
obedience  to  its  requirements  than  is  possible  otherwise  and  that 
those  who  give  this  adherence  are  more  worthy  and  more  per- 
fect. It  readily  leads  to  the  unwarranted  assumption  that 
special  goodness  and  worth  are  attached  to  the  holding  of  some 
certain  divisive  belief,  or  the  maintenance  of  some  divisive 
practice  among  the  followers  of  Christ. 

7.  Sectarianism  discredits  the  divine  origin  of  the  church. 
It  gives  to  the  church  the  appearance  and  characteristics  of  an 
institution  that  is  very  human.  It  is  the  cause  of  that  divided 
state  and  condition  of  the  church  which  causes  men  to  ques- 
tion its  heavenly  origin.  The  average  man  of  the  world  is 
more  conscious  of  its  divisions  than  almost  any  other  feature. 
To  him  the  various  churches  are  a  crowd  of  rivals  whose  dif- 
ferences may  be  important,  but  whose  efforts  are  strikingly 
competitive.  The  keenness  of  their  competition  and  the 
worldliness  of  many  of  their  methods  lead  him  to  look  upon 
the  church  as  an  intensely  human  institution,  whatever  its 
claims  may  be  as  to  its  origin.  Observing  the  spirit  and 
methods  of  the  various  churches  as  competitors  in  seeking  the 


Sectarianism 


179 


goodwill  and  support  of  the  community,  he  comes  to  look  on 
them  in  very  much  the  same  light  as  he  does  on  rival  agencies 
and  organizations  of  other  kinds.  Even  church  people  often 
seem  to  be  most  deeply  impressed  with  its  human  characteristics 
and  to  lose  sight  of  its  divine  origin  and  mission.  In  the 
rivalries  that  it  engenders  they  come  to  think  of  themselves 
as  Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Congregationalists,  et 
cetera,  rather  than  as  members  of  the  body  of  Christ. 

8.  It  stultifies  all  claims  of  Christian  unity.  It  advocates 
the  necessity  of  different  denominations  and  seeks  the  perpetua- 
tion of  those  already  existing.  The  existence  of  these  denom- 
inations with  all  their  rivalries  and  efforts  to  surpass  each 
other,  is  a  striking  and  forcible  manifestation  of  difference  and 
diversity  rather  than  of  unity.  In  the  face  of  this  manifesta- 
tion it  is  difficult  for  many  to  see  and  believe  that  there  is  any 
unity  among  them.  The  claim  of  a  vital  spiritual  unity  is 
questioned.  The  wise  man  of  the  world  reasons  that  spiritual 
unity  ought  to  produce  effects  and  that  these  effects  ought  to 
become  visible.  He  does  not  see  such  effects  as  are  sufficient 
to  persuade  him  that  such  unity  exists,  but  he  sees  such  con- 
ditions in  the  churches  as  persuade  him  that  the  unity  among 
them  is  very  limited  and  uncertain. 

9.  Sectarianism  detracts  from  the  value  of  all  religious  work. 
It  introduces  a  narrow  and  selfish  motive.  It  prompts  the 
worker  to  seek  the  advancement  of  his  church's  interests  and 
honor  rather  than  the  interests  and  honor  of  Christ's  Kingdom. 
It  makes  him  more  anxious  to  build  up  a  church  than  to  win 
souls  for  Christ  and  build  them  up  in  Him.  When  a 
Christian  worker  is  known  to  be  a  zealous  sectarian  he  fails 
to  influence  men  for  good  as  otherwise  he  would  do.  They 
come  to  look  on  him  as  actuated  by  unworthy  aims  and  take 
little  notice  of  his  suggestions  and  appeals.  The  zealous 
sectarian  breeds  suspicion,  too,  that  all  Christian  workers  are 


i8o 


Barriers 


much  affected  by  selfish  motives  and  thus  he  diminishes  the 
power  and  value  of  their  work. 

10.  It  produces  an  unyielding  spirit.  It  makes  many 
members  of  every  denomination  unready  to  give  up  their  own. 
They  are  anxious  for  church  union,  but  want  the  other 
churches  to  unite  with  theirs.  They  are  unwilling  to  meet 
the  other  churches  half  way,  or  any  part  of  the  way,  but  de- 
mand that  others  shall  come  the  whole  way.  This  unyielding 
spirit,  found  to  a  greater  or  a  less  degree  in  all  the  churches, 
causes  them  to  appear  absurdly  inconsistent  in  the  effort  to  win 
men  to  Jesus  Christ.  Their  appeal  to  men  to  be  submissive 
to  the  will  and  ordinances  of  God  is  weakened  and  made  in- 
effective by  their  own  evident  want  of  a  submissive  spirit.  Is 
it  any  wonder  that  many  of  our  churches  are  making  no 
progress?  Is  it  strange  that  many  a  church  goes  through  the 
forms  of  worship  and  Christian  work  for  a  whole  year  with- 
out a  single  convert? 

11.  It  is  wasteful  of  resources.  The  resources  of  every  com- 
munity available  for  the  work  of  the  church  are  limited  in  their 
amount  and  application.  The  best  use  of  these  resources  re- 
quires that  there  be  neither  unnecessary  duplication  nor  re- 
duplication in  their  use,  which  cannot  be  escaped  in  their  di- 
vided use  by  several  churches.  These  duplications  and  re- 
duplications often  use  up  the  resources  of  both  men  and  means 
which  are  greatly  needed  for  the  amplification,  systemization, 
and  more  perfect  accomplishment  of  the  work.  It  sometimes 
takes  workers  away  from  their  own  community  where  their 
help  is  greatly  needed  to  some  other  community  and  thus  in 
some  measure  dissipates  their  usefulness. 

12.  It  degrades  the  cause  of  Christianity.  It  lowers  the 
spirit  and  aim  of  Christian  worship  and  service.  It  limits  the 
variety  of  form  and  manner  in  which  inspiring  and  uplifting 
worship  may  be  rendered.    It  transmutes  service  for  the  glory 


Sectarianism 


i8i 


of  God  and  the  good  of  man  into  service  for  the  glorj'^  of  some 
church  and  the  good  of  a  particular  set  of  people.  It  debases 
love  for  the  house  of  God,  the  worship  of  God,  and  the  people 
of  God  into  love  for  a  sectarian  building,  particular  forms  of 
worship,  and  a  special  type  of  Christian  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. It  fixes  the  mind,  heart,  and  will,  upon  the  external 
forms  of  worship  and  service  rather  than  upon  their  inward 
spirit. 

Here  are  one  dozen  charges  against  sectarianism  and  still 
others  might  be  added.  These  will  suffice  to  help  us  see  how 
great  a  multitude  of  evils  are  found  to  flow  readily  from  an 
excessive  devotion  to  some  particular  denomination  and  an  in- 
temperate zeal  for  its  cause.  All  these  growths  are  not  ap- 
parent and  equally  abundant  in  every  congregation  and  de- 
nomination. Indeed,  in  most  cases  these  later  years  these 
growths  have  been  greatly  checked  and  brought  under  more 
or  less  control.  But  these  are  true  samples  of  its  real  prod- 
ucts. It  has  produced  these  evils  in  the  past  and  is  still  doing 
so  to  a  greater  or  a  less  degree.  They  show  its  natural  tendency 
and  legitimate  effects  when  it  has  gained  an  ascendency  of 
power  in  the  churches.  Some  of  these  products  are  always  to 
be  seen  and  the  crop  is  liable  to  become  abundant  unless  rooted 
up  and  overcome  by  the  faithful  and  effective  cultivation  of 
those  products  in  the  churches  that  are  good  and  true. 

In  Dr.  Bonar's  dream,  referred  to  on  preceding  pages,  the 
angels  proved  to  him  that  his  religious  zeal  and  devotion  were 
considerably  tinctured  with  sectarianism.  He  was  made  to 
realize  that  its  presence  and  power  was  a  serious  drawback  to 
the  purity  of  his  zeal  and  devotion.  He  was  much  humiliated 
by  his  realization  of  its  place  and  effects  upon  his  life  and 
work.  He  was  distressed  that  there  was  so  much  in  his  re- 
ligious activities  that  did  not  proceed  from  pure  love  to  God 
and  man.    What  shall  the  angels  find  when  they  come  to 


Barriers 


visit  us?  Shall  they  find  the  sectarian  spirit  to  be  a  large  ele- 
ment in  our  zeal  and  devotion  to  His  Church?  Our  Savior 
would  not  have  it  so.  He  wants  a  bigger  and  a  better  love 
for  His  church  than  is  possible  to  the  sectarian.  He  wants 
a  love  for  it  that  rises  above  all  narrow  limitations  of  the 
sectarian  spirit.  He  wants  a  love  for  it  that  is  kindred  to  His 
own. 


AMBITION 


MBITION  is  lust  for  honor,  power,  fame,.    It  is  the 


.XjL  special  vice  of  many  noble  minds.  It  is  a  most  seductive 
vice  to  many  Christian  people  and  has  had  much  to  do  with 
the  creation  and  perpetuation  of  divisions  in  the  church  of 
Christ.  In  Dr.  Bonar's  dream  ambition  was  shown  to  be  a 
large  element  —  the  largest  single  element  of  all  —  in  his  zeal 
for  Christian  service.  Without  doubt  it  has  sadly  tainted  the 
devotion  of  many  a  Christian  worker  whose  great  endeavor 
was  to  build  up  some  sect  more  than  to  build  up  the  Kingdom 
of  God. 

Ambition  is  a  sin  that  dates  back  to  the  beginning  of  time. 
It  was  "  the  sin  by  which  the  angels  fell."  It  was  the  sin 
of  Cain  who  was  so  ambitious  to  surpass  his  brother  Abel 
that  when  he  failed  he  slew  him.  It  was  the  sin  of  Aaron 
and  Miriam  when  they  spake  against  Moses  and  called  down 
upon  themselves  the  vengeance  of  Jehovah.  This  was  the  sin 
of  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram  when  they  were  swallowed 
up  by  the  earth.  This  was  the  sin  of  Absolom  who  rose  up 
against  his  father,  David,  and  of  David  when  he  tried  to  find 
our  his  strength  for  war  by  numbering  the  people.  This  was 
the  sin  of  Solomon  when  he  married  many  a  princess  of  foreign 
lands  and  multiplied  horses  contrary  to  the  commandment. 
This  was  the  sin  of  Jereboam,  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  taught 
Israel  to  sin.  This  was  the  sin  of  Jehoiakim  who  sought  great 
things  for  himself. 

Our  blessed  Savior  did  not  escape  its  temptation.  In  the 
wilderness  Satan  came  to  hiiti  and  took  him  up  to  the  mountain 
top  and  showed  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  this  world,  and  prom- 


183 


Barriers 


ised  to  give  them  all  on  condition  that  He  would  fall  down 
and  worship  him.  But  He  thrust  away  the  tempter  with  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit.  Two  of  His  disciples  were  yielding  to  this 
sin  when  they  asked  from  Him  a  seat,  one  on  His  right  hand 
and  the  other  on  His  left  hand,  in  His  Kingdom.  He  re- 
buked them  for  their  ambitious  aims  and  pointed  out  that  such 
aims  were  not  compatible  with  the  nature  and  work  of  His 
Kingdom. 

Jotham's  parable  is  a  warning  against  the  danger  of  this 
sin.  It  represents  the  bramble  as  the  ambitious  one  among  the 
trees  of  the  field.  Zophar  says  of  the  ambitious  man, 
"  Though  his  excellency  mount  up  to  the  heavens,  and  his  head 
reach  unto  the  clouds,  he  shall  perish  forever  "  (Job  20:  6,  7). 
The  Psalmist  says  that  the  ambitious  man  is  "  like  the  beasts 
that  perish"  (Ps.  49:  12).  The  prophets  warn  against  ambi- 
tion. Jesus  warns  against  it.  Those  that  are  ambitious  for 
the  "  uppermost  rooms  "  and  the  "  chief  seats  "  are  condemned 
by  Him.  To  those  who  are  ambitious  for  power  and  wealth 
He  offers  the  Socratic  question :  "  What  is  a  man  profited  if 
he  shall  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  life"  (Matt. 
16:26). 

Ambition  has  wrought  great  evil  in  the  affairs  of  state.  The 
Earl  of  Strafford  spoke  out  of  his  own  experience,  when  in 
making  his  address  just  before  going  to  the  block,  he  said: 

"  Amongst  other  things  which  pollute  and  contaminate  the 
minds  of  great  spirits  there  is  none  more  heinous  than  ambition, 
which  is  seldom  unaccompanied  with  avarice." 

Benjamin  Franklin  was  well  aware  of  the  nature  and  power 
of  ambition  when  he  pointed  out  to  the  convention  that  was 
assembled  to  frame  our  national  constitution  the  dangers  of  a 
salaried  bureaucracy.  In  his  address  before  that  convention, 
he  said : 

"  Sir,  there  are  two  passions  which  have  a  powerful  influence 


A  mbition 


185 


in  the  affairs  of  men.  These  are  ambition  and  avarice ;  the 
lo\e  of  power  and  the  love  of  money.  Separately,  each  of 
these  has  great  force  in  prompting  men  to  action ;  but,  when 
united  in  view  of  the  same  object,  they  have,  in  many  minds, 
the  most  violent  effects.  Place  before  the  eyes  of  such  men 
a  post  of  honor,  that  shall,  at  the  same  time,  be  a  place  of 
profit,  and  they  will  move  heaven  and  earth  to  obtain  it." 

In  his  address  at  Edinburgh  University  on  his  installation 
as  Lord  Rector  the  famous  essayist,  historian  and  moralist, 
Thomas  Carlyle,  said : 

"  On  the  whole,  avoid  what  is  called  ambition ;  that  is  not 
a  fine  principle  to  go  upon, —  and  has  in  it  all  degrees  of  vulgar- 
ity, if  that  is  a  consideration.  '  Seekest  thou  great  things,  seek 
them  not:  '  I  warmly  second  that  advice  of  the  wisest  of  men. 
Don't  be  ambitious;  don't  too  much  need  success;  be  loyal 
and  modest.  Cut  down  the  proud  towering  thoughts  that  get 
into  you,  or  see  that  they  be  pure  as  well  as  high.  There  is 
a  nobler  ambition  than  the  gaining  of  all  California  would  be, 
or  the  getting  of  all  the  suffrages  that  are  on  the  planet  just 
now." 

The  following  lines  of  N.  P.  Willis  are  pertinent: 

"  How  like  a  mounting  devil  in  the  heart 
Rules  the  unreined  Ambition !    Let  it  once 
But  play  the  monarch,  and  its  haughty  brow 
Glows  with  a  beauty  that  bewilders  thought 
And  unthrones  peace  forever.    Putting  on 
The  very  pomp  of  Lucifer,  it  turns 
The  heart  to  ashes." 

Ambition  has  wrought  great  evil  in  the  church  as  well  as  in 
the  state.  Its  nature  and  effects  are  the  same  wherever  they 
are  found.  It  is  as  a  churchman  that  Cardinal  Wolsey  ad- 
dressed his  servant  Cromwell  and  thus  points  out  the  ruinous 
character  of  this  sin: 


Barriers 


"  Mark  but  my  fall,  and  that  that  ruined  me. 
Cromwell,  I  charge  thee,  fling  away  ambition, 
By  that  sin  fell  the  angels;  how  can  man  then, 
The  image  of  his  Maker,  hope  to  win  by  it? 
Love  thyself  last ;  cherish  those  hearts  that  hate  thee ; 
Corruption  wins  not  more  than  honesty." 

Ruskin's  last  words  in  his  "  Modern  Painters,"  are  of 
special  significance  to  Christian  workers:  He  says:  "  So  far  as 
you  desire  to  possess  rather  than  to  give:  so  far  as  you  look 
for  power  to  command  instead  of  to  bless;  ...  so  long  as  the 
hope  before  you  is  for  supremacy  instead  of  love;  and  your 
desire  is  to  be  greatest  instead  of  least  —  first  instead  of  last, — 
so  long  are  you  serving  the  Lord  of  all  that  is  last,  and  least; 
the  last  enemy  that  shall  be  destroyed  —  Death ;  and  you  shall 
have  death's  crown,  with  the  worm  coiled  in  it;  and  death's 
wages,  with  the  worm  feeding  on  them." 

What  student  of  church  history  does  not  realize  that  ambi- 
tion has  had  much  to  do  with  the  controversies  and  divisive 
movements  which  have  befallen  the  Christian  Church  in  all 
the  past?  In  every  age  there  have  been  men  who  greatly 
coveted  the  power  of  leadership  and  would  compass  sea  and  land 
to  gain  their  purposes.  The  desire  to  be  first  and  greatest  was 
the  power  that  fanned  the  flame  of  controversy  to  its  greatest 
height  and  sometimes  produced  division.  To  be  sure  there  was 
some  bone  of  contention  —  some  interpretation  of  Scripture 
words  or  phrases,  or  some  speculative  doctri.ie  —  but  the  thirst 
for  power  played  a  considerable  part  in  the  contest.  The  de- 
sire for  supremacy  became  so  strong  sometimes  as  to  incite  to 
the  most  cruel  and  atrocious  deeds.  Men  who  were  under  its 
sway  became  the  most  hard-hearted  and  designing  of  men. 

The  individualism  of  the  Protestant  churches  and  of  modern 
times  has  been  very  stimulating  to  the  spirit  of  ambition.  It 
has  created  a  wide  spirit  of  independence  and  encouraged  many 


A  mbition 


187 


a  man  to  think  that  he  was  born  to  rule.  It  has  awakened 
the  thirst  for  power  in  a  great  many  minds  and  has  been  a 
special  cause  in  the  creation  of  new  denominations  and  in  the 
perpetuation  of  those  already  in  existence.  Intense  individual- 
ism awakens  ambition  in  the  mind  and  prompts  the  expression 
and  defense  of  personal  opinion.  It  suggests  separate  organi- 
zation to  propagate  opinion  and  to  furnish  opportunity  and  oc- 
casion for  leadership.  Ambitious  leaders  expect  and  soon  gain 
a  following,  for  "  There  is  no  nonsense  so  transparent,  no 
crotchet  so  ridiculous,  no  system  so  unreasonable,  that  it  cannot 
find  advocates  and  disciples." 

This  has  been  a  source  of  much  trouble  in  many  a  con- 
gregation, causing  its  division  into  factions,  its  contentions  and 
quarrels,  and  possibly  its  separation  into  two  congregations  or 
denominations.  The  determination  to  have  one's  way,  and  to 
create  a  following  to  secure  it,  has  been  the  ruin  of  many  a 
congregation.  Selfish  ambition  is  a  great  barrier  to  the  wel- 
fare of  any  congregation,  community,  denomination,  of  the 
church  at  large,  of  the  cause  of  union.  But  it  can  be  removed 
if  Christian  men  will  only  recognize  its  Satanic  nature  and  sin- 
fulness and  turn  their  backs  upon  it.  Let  them  recognize 
its  insidious  and  evil  nature  and  patiently  and  persistently  seek 
deliverance  from  its  guilt  and  power. 


MILITANCY 


*T  LIKE  to  read  something  that  has  fight  in  it,"  is  the  way 
■■■  a  small  boy  described  the  kind  of  reading  he  enjoyed. 
"  I'd  just  give  him  a  good  whack,"  is  the  way  another  small 
boy  indicated  his  possession  of  the  same  combative  instinct  on 
being  told  about  the  meanness  of  the  devil.  Sometimes  the 
boy  as  he  grows  older  gets  to  feel  that  he  "  would  rather  fight 
than  eat."  It  is  the  nature  of  the  boy  to  be  combative.  Mr. 
Henty  and  other  popular  writers  of  stories  for  boys  have 
recognized  this  tendency  in  human  nature.  The  average  boy 
loves  to  play  soldier  and  imagine  himself  to  be  the  triumphant 
victor  over  strong  and  powerful  enemies. 

This  boyish  tendency  is  sometimes  carried  into  manhood 
and  forward  through  the  years.  Some  grown  people  seem  to 
love  contention  and  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  opportunities  to 
have  it.  They  are  verj'  ready  to  challenge  the  position  or  the 
rights  of  others  and  very  aggressive  in  the  defense  and  ad- 
vancement of  their  own  personal  interests,  or  of  those  with 
whom  they  are  identified.  Many  think  this  to  be  the  proper 
way  to  live.  They  believe  in  standing  up  for  yourself  and  in 
taking  care  of  number  one  with  great  promptness  and  vigor. 
They  believe  in  being  combative  and  in  the  ready  use  of  ma- 
terial and  worldly  forces  for  personal  ends  and  those  of  their 
group. 

The  combative  instinct  in  human  nature  is  one  that  needs 
restraint  and  control  rather  than  free  exercise  and  scope. 
Both  wisdom  and  religion  teach  the  value  of  such  restraint  and 
control.  It  was  a  wise  man  who  gave  the  proverb:  "  He 
that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the  mighty;  and  he  that 

i88 


Militancy 


ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that  taketh  a  city."  It  is  the  mission 
of  the  church  by  the  precept  and  example  of  its  people  to  teach 
men  such  restraint  and  control.  The  spirit  of  Christianity  is 
one  of  mastery  over  the  militant  spirit.  It  has  a  special  work 
in  the  subjugation  and  management  of  the  combative  disposi- 
tion, and  in  directing  its  energies  against  the  things  that  are 
really  harmful  and  ruinous.  The  Christian  man  or  woman 
who  has  the  militant  spirit  in  regard  to  selfish  interests,  whether 
they  be  personal,  or  group  interests,  is  yet  in  the  early  childhood 
of  religious  experience. 

It  is  natural  for  us  to  want  our  own  way  and  to  have  people 
think  as  we  think,  and  it  is  not  always  easy  to  accord  to  them 
a  similar  right.  The  kind  of  means  which  we  are  ready  to 
employ  in  the  enforcement  of  our  opinions  and  views  on  others 
will  depend  upon  our  cultivated  disposition,  whether  it  be 
Christian  and  therefore  reasonable,  or  militant  and  violent. 
The  combative  disposition  sees  little  value  in  the  mild  methods 
taught  by  Christ,  has  little  confidence  in  their  efficiency,  and 
thinks  their  range  of  application  exceedingly  limited.  The 
more  combative  our  disposition  the  more  ready  we  are  to  use 
the  kinds  of  worldly  force  the  people  of  the  world  uphold 
and  applaud.  Our  bent  of  mind  is  sure  soon  to  manifest  itself 
in  outward  action.  We  readily  resort  to  such  measures  as  we 
think  are  necessary  to  gain  our  ends  and  enforce  our  opinions. 
The  more  militant  our  spirit  the  more  readily  we  grasp  those 
agencies  of  force  which  are  the  instruments  of  violence  and 
pain. 

Undoubtedly  it  is  right  and  proper  to  want  our  own  way 
and  to  have  others  think  as  we  think,  when  we  are  sure  that 
we  are  right.  Moreover,  we  must  accord  to  them  the  same 
right.  This  right  to  bring  others  to  our  ways  of  thinking 
is  inherent  in  the  nature  of  things.  It  is  essential  to  every 
kind  of  human  development  and  progress.    It  underlies  the 


Barriers 


great  work  of  the  church  in  teaching  men  about  God  and  His 
plan  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  basic  to  the 
whole  work  of  education.  It  is  fundamental  to  the  existence 
and  power  of  any  kind  of  civil  government.  It  is  natural  for 
us  to  think  more  of  our  own  opinions  than  other  people's  and 
to  want  other  people  to  accept  our  views,  and  it  is  right  to 
do  so  with  proper  modesty  and  force.  It  is  not  a  question  of 
the  right  to  try  to  bring  others  to  our  ways  of  thinking:  it  is 
a  question  of  the  kind  of  means  to  be  employed  in  doing  it. 
Som.e  means  are  always  commendable  and  right,  others  de- 
pend upon  conditions  and  their  application  for  their  rightness, 
and  still  others  are  always  wrong. 

The  kind  of  force  appropriate  to  the  church  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  its  work  and  in  the  management  of  its  affairs, 
has  been  quite  fully  indicated  by  its  Founder  and  His  apostles. 
The  means  to  be  employed  by  it  and  by  its  members  in  their 
intercourse  and  work  on  its  behalf  are  the  impelling  power 
of  the  truth,  the  force  of  reason,  the  potency  of  love,  the  in- 
fluence of  kindness,  the  gracious  effects  of  gentleness,  and  all 
such  spiritual  forces  as  are  kindred  to  these.  The  Apostle  Paul 
says:  "  The  weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not  of  the  flesh  but 
mighty  before  God  to  the  casting  down  of  strongholds."  His 
Christian  armor  in  the  Sixth  of  Ephesians  is  wholly  spiritual. 
These  spiritual  forces  like  sunlight  are  very  mild  and  gentle 
in  their  application  but  very  effective  in  the  final  outcome  of 
their  work.  Whatever  real  progress  the  church  has  ever  made 
in  the  accomplishment  of  its  own  particular  work  in  the  build- 
ing up  of  society,  has  been  secured  through  the  power  of  these 
forces. 

But  the  church  has  not  always  kept  itself  within  the  range 
of  the  forces  bestowed  upon  it  by  its  Founder.  It  has  often 
resorted  to  the  use  of  kinds  of  force  from  which  it  was  pro- 


Militancy 


191 


hibited,  and  has  as  often  failed  to  employ  the  kinds  that  were 
bestowed  upon  it  for  its  use.  It  has  often  made  "  war  accord- 
ing to  the  flesh."  In  certain  past  ages  it  has  adopted  the  most 
violent  and  cruel  measures  for  the  enforcement  of  its  plans  and 
purposes.  Too  often  in  its  history  the  sword  has  been  the 
symbol  of  its  power  and  its  instrument  in  the  enforcement  of 
its  theories  and  opinions  upon  those  who  were  of  a  different 
persuasion.  The  defense  of  the  faith  has  too  often  meant  the 
purpose  and  the  effort  to  compel  by  violence  the  acceptance  of 
certain  theological  formulas  and  definitions.  In  the  effort  to 
enforce  these  opinions  the  rack,  the  gibbet,  the  fagot,  the  prison, 
and  the  sword,  have  very  frequently  been  used.  The  church 
itself  has  very  often  been  the  author  and  the  agent  of  the 
direst  persecutions.  Thousands  upon  thousands  of  people  have 
been  put  to  death  because  their  religious  opinions  and  faith 
were  different.  It  makes  one  very  sad  to  think  of  the  un- 
speakable cruelties  which  a  wrong  theory  of  force  has  wrought 
within  the  church,  where  it  should  never  have  been  permitted 
to  come. 

In  modern  times  the  recovery  from  this  great  apostasy  of 
former  generations  in  the  use  of  violent  force  has  not  yet  been 
made  complete  and  perfect.  Though  great  progress  has  been 
made  in  this  recovery,  there  is  still  too  much  manifestation 
of  the  militant  spirit  in  all  the  churches.  The  severe  and 
cruel  measures  of  former  times  have  passed,  but  means  that  are 
questionable  and  are  indicative  of  a  spirit  of  worldly  antago- 
nism are  still  in  vogue  in  many  places.  Many  of  the  efforts 
to  gain  the  crowd  are  very  selfish  and  have  in  them  the  element 
of  cruelty  toward  other  churches.  Some  of  the  competitive 
measures  of  modern  churches  are  very  much  out  of  harmony 
with  the  kind  of  forces  with  which  the  church  was  endowed 
in  its  beginning.    The  strenuous  efforts  sometimes  employed 


192 


Barriers 


to  gain  advantages  over  other  churches  and  to  hinder  axid  de- 
stroy their  influence  for  good  in  the  community  necessarily 
come  under  the  head  of  militancy. 

Even  in  civil  and  political  affairs  men  are  wont  to  recognize 
the  limitations  of  compulsory  agencies  in  the  enforcement  of 
civic  and  national  ideals.  As  a  nation  we  are  very  much  op- 
posed to  the  ideas  of  militarism  that  have  prevailed  in  Ger- 
many, and  along  with  other  nations  are  protesting  with  our 
might  against  any  expansion,  or  even  the  continuance,  of  this 
militaristic  ideal  of  force.  We  are  fighting  to  rid  the  world 
of  the  theory  that  might  is  right.  We  want  all  mankind  to 
realize  that  there  are  necessary  and  vital  limitations  to  the 
kinds  and  degrees  of  force  which  nations  may  employ  in  the 
prosecution  of  their  aims.  It  is  certainly  fitting  that  the  nations 
should  all  be  made  to  recognize  these  limitations  and  act  ac- 
cordingly. It  is  also  fitting  that  the  church  should  recognize 
the  limitations  of  the  forces  which  it  can  rightly  employ  in 
the  accomplishment  of  its  work  and  aims. 

The  failure  of  the  church  to  recognize  these  limitations 
and  to  confine  itself  to  the  use  of  such  spiritual  forces  as  were 
bestowed  upon  it,  has  probably  been  due  to  a  want  of  clear 
distinction  between  the  respective  functions  of  church  and 
state.  That  there  is  a  marked  distinction  is  indicated  by  the 
Great  Head  of  the  church  when  He  said  to  Pilate:  "  My 
Kingdom  is  not  of  this  world:  if  my  Kingdom  were  of  this 
world,  then  would  my  servants  (or  officers)  fight  that  I  should 
not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews:  but  now  is  my  Kingdom  not 
from  hence  "  (John  i8:  36).  In  these  words  Jesus  recognizes 
the  right  of  civil  and  political  government  to  the  support  and 
defense  of  its  citizens  by  the  sword,  but  denies  that  right 
as  pertaining  to  His  Kingdom,  and  hence  to  His  church  as 
the  special  representative  of  His  Kingdom  on  the  earth.  Just 
a  few  hours  before  these  words  to  Pilate,  Peter  had  shown 


Militancy 


193 


a  willingness  to  defend  Him  and  His  followers,  but  Jesus  had 
said  to  Peter:  "  Put  up  the  sword  into  the  sheath  "  (John 
18:11).  He  thus  prohibited  the  use  of  the  instrument  of 
violence  in  His  own  defense  or  in  the  defense  of  His  follow- 
ers, who  afterwards  interpreted  His  words  to  be  a  perpetual 
prohibition  of  the  sword  as  a  means  of  defense  in  their  work  of 
establishing  His  church. 

Several  days  before  this,  when  James  and  John  had  shown 
their  ambition  for  the  highest  places  in  His  Kingdom  and  He 
knew  of  the  indignation  among  the  rest  of  His  disciples.  He 
called  their  attention  to  the  difference  between  church  and 
state  by  saying  to  them,  "  Ye  know  that  the  rulers  of  the 
Gentiles  lord  it  over  them,  and  their  great  ones  exercise  author- 
ity over  them.  Not  so  shall  it  be  among  you:  but  whosoever 
would  be  great  among  you  shall  be  j'our  minister;  and  whoso- 
ever would  be  first  among  you  shall  be  your  servant:  even  so 
the  Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto  but  to  minister 
and  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many"  (Matt.  20:  25-28). 
Here  again  the  Head  of  the  church  indicates  that  while  it 
may  be  fitting  for  civil  rulers  to  enforce  their  ideas  and  aims 
upon  their  subjects  by  compulsory  measures,  such  is  not  the 
case  among  His  followers  whose  work  is  one  of  service  rather 
than  enforcing  others.  Only  the  night  before  this  talk  with 
Pilate  and  just  after  the  institution  of  the  supper,  these  disciples 
got  into  a  contention  about  who  was  the  greatest  among  them, 
when  He  again  taught  them  that  there  is  a  marked  distinction 
between  His  Kingdom  and  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  in  the 
matter  of  power  and  compulsion.  On  all  these  occasions  Jesus 
taught  that  while  physical  force  may  be  appropriate  to  civil 
rulers  and  in  the  support  of  right  national  ideals  and  aims, 
it  is  not  to  characterize  His  followers  in  their  relation  to  His 
Kingdom  and  church.    "  Not  so  shall  it  be  among  you." 

No  doubt  these  two  coordinate  institutions,  the  church  and 


194 


Barriers 


the  state,  were  intended  in  the  mind  of  Christ  to  be  mutually 
helpful  to  each  other,  but  there  are  marked  differences  between 
them  as  to  their  nature,  aims,  and  purposes.  The  church  is 
the  institute  of  brotherhood  for  the  fellowship  in  worship  and 
service  of  those  who  recognize  a  common  Father  and  a  common 
Savior.  The  state  is  the  institute  of  justice  among  men.  Its 
special  work  is  the  promotion  of  justice  in  every  relationship 
of  men  to  one  another.  Now  the  development  and  mainte- 
nance of  brotherhood  is  quite  a  different  thing  from  the  promo- 
tion of  justice  among  men,  although  they  may  have  some  points 
in  common.  The  difference  in  the  nature  and  aims  of  these 
two  institutions  is  indicative  that  necessarily  there  will  be 
some  difference  in  the  forces  by  which  their  work  respectively 
is  carried  on.  As  already  shown  there  is  a  recognition  of  this 
difference  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus.  The  same  is  true  in  the 
teaching  of  the  apostles.  They  recognized  the  right  of  civil 
rulers  to  use  the  sword  in  the  establishment  of  justice  and  en- 
joined honor  and  obedience  to  such  rulers,  for  the  reason  that 
civil  government  is  an  ordinance  of  God.  They  also  fully 
recognized  the  rights  of  brotherhood  within  the  church  and  con- 
tinuously urged  the  application  of  those  gentle  forces  which 
bind  men  as  brethren  in  loving  fellowship  and  mutual  helpful- 
ness. 

The  failure  of  the  church  to  clearly  recognize  this  differ- 
ence in  the  forces  which  may  appropriately  be  used  by  church 
and  state  in  their  respective  fields  of  work  has  wrought  much 
evil  in  the  church.  Possibly  this  failure  was  the  reason  why 
many  of  the  early  fathers,  and  the  whole  body  of  the  early 
church,  refused  to  use  the  sword  in  the  support  of  civic  and 
national  undertakings.  Without  the  recognition  of  this  dif- 
ference men  who  were  earnestly  devoted  to  the  aims  and  work 
of  the  church  would  naturally  reach  the  conclusion  that  the 
kinds  of  force  committed  to  the  church  for  the  propagation 


Militancy 


195 


of  its  work  were  the  only  kinds  that  the  state  could  properly 
employ,  and  therefore  that  the  use  of  the  sword  must  never 
be  employed.  Possibly  their  opposition  to  the  use  of  the  sword 
and  their  refusal  to  employ  it  was  because  of  the  absence  of 
moral  aim  in  the  wars  of  those  early  ages.  A  proper  moral 
aim  is  necessary  to  justify  the  use  of  physical  force  anywhere 
and  at  any  time.  It  is  always  the  aim  that  vindicates  the  means 
employed.  Our  justification  in  the  present  war  is  our  high 
moral  aims.  The  wars  of  those  ages  seem  to  have  been  wholly 
for  rapine  and  reprisal,  and  well  might  the  church  teach  its 
members  the  wickedness  of  such  wars  and  persuade  them  that 
the  only  right  course  to  be  pursued  was  to  suffer  persecution 
rather  than  take  the  sword  to  support  such  wicked  aims. 

But  in  the  course  of  time  this  failure  to  distinguish  between 
the  kinds  of  force  appropriate  to  the  church  and  to  the  state 
respectively,  led  to  the  employment  by  the  church  of  such  kinds 
of  force  as  are  appropriate  only  to  the  state,  or  even  to  the  use 
of  such  as  were  too  exceedingly  cruel  and  barbarous  to  have 
a  proper  use  in  any  institution.  In  doing  this  the  church 
usurped  the  rights  of  its  coordinate  institution,  and  even  passed 
beyond  these  rights.  It  even  tried  to  dominate  the  state  and 
make  the  state  its  agent  in  the  use  of  severe  and  cruel  measures. 
It  arrogated  to  itself  the  right  to  act  as  arbiter  and  judge  in 
the  enforcement  of  civic  and  national  decrees.  It  became  a 
temporal  power  and  used  material  forces  and  agencies  in  the 
accomplishment  of  its  purposes. 

In  modern  times  this  distinction  between  the  functions  of 
church  and  state  and  their  respective  rights  has  been  recognized 
somewhat,  but  not  very  thoroughly.  There  are  many  yet  who 
think  that  the  church  may  properly  use  almost  any  kind  of 
force  any  of  its  members  may  feel  inclined  to  employ.  They 
arc  willing  to  push  a  competing  congregation  to  the  wall  and 
crush  the  life  out  of  it.    If  the  actual  sword  is  not  used,  means 


196 


Barriers 


of  a  very  worldly  nature  are  readily  employed.  Social  stand- 
ing, financial  opportunities  and  advantages,  and  political  pros- 
pects, are  often  used  as  weapons  to  gain  the  mastery  over 
sinners  and  members  of  other  churches  and  to  lead  them  captive 
in  the  church.  And  there  are  those  who  think  that  physical 
force  is  yet  proper  in  support  and  defense  of  the  interests,  or  sup- 
posed interests,  of  the  church.  Within  the  last  year  in  one 
of  our  larger  cities  the  life  of  a  judge  and  district  attorney 
were  threatened  by  a  group  of  people  who  were  the  repre- 
sentatives of  their  local  and  particular  church's  spirit  and  pur- 
pose. Various  kinds  of  intimidation  are  still  resorted  to  in 
church  matters  by  people  who  call  themselves  Christian.  The 
boycott  is  the  modern  method  of  inquisition  sometimes  used 
and  the  church  is  believed  by  some  to  be  justified  in  using  it. 
We  make  "  shibboleths  "  and  demand  that  others  shall  pro- 
nounce them  on  pain  of  exclusion  from  our  religious  fellow- 
ship, and  then  go  off  in  a  crowd  by  ourselves  and  thank  the 
Lord  how  good  we  are.  Our  sectarian  standards  are  the 
forces  that  keep  us  divided  and  they  are  not  the  products  of 
the  spirit  of  Christian  brotherhood. 

In  America  the  functions  of  church  and  state  have  been 
differentiated  so  far  as  to  give  us  separation  of  church  and 
state.  This  is  as  it  should  be.  But  it  should  go  still  further. 
The  respective  functions,  rights,  and  duties,  that  pertain  to 
each  should  be  more  clearly  defined  and  more  generally  under- 
stood. Let  it  be  clearly  apprehended,  and  fully  appreciated, 
that  it  is  the  state's  prerogative,  ordained  of  God,  to  establish 
and  maintain  justice  among  men  and  that  in  doing  so  the 
sword  is  the  appropriate  symbol  and  instrument  of  its  power, 
but  that  the  church's  prerogative,  also  ordained  of  God,  is  to 
bring  men  together  and  hold  them  together  as  brethren  in 
Christ  Jesus,  and  that  in  doing  this  its  weapons  must  be 
spiritual.    A  clear  conception  of  this  distinction  and  full  ap- 


Militancy 


197 


preciation  of  its  importance  would  help  to  solve  many  a  prob- 
lem of  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  and  of  the  practical 
duties  of  men  as  citizens  and  as  Christians. 

It  is  not  claimed  that  church  and  state  can  be  entirely 
separated.  This  is  impossible  as  they  are  not  only  coordinate 
but  supplementary  institutions  having  distinct  and  yet  co- 
operative functions  to  perform.  Being  supplementary  they  are 
mutually  dependent  on  each  other.  Human  society  cannot  be 
made  perfect  without  the  work  of  both.  The  church  is  de- 
pendent on  the  state  for  a  location  and  a  home  in  which  to 
assemble.  Its  membership  is  composed  of  those  who  are  also 
citizens  of  the  state.  Through  the  power  of  the  state  it  is 
protected  in  the  opportunities  and  privileges  necessary  for  its 
worship  and  its  work.  The  weekly  day  of  rest  and  worship 
and  the  defense  of  its  assemblies  against  interference  and  inter- 
ruption are  made  secure  to  it  by  the  power  of  the  state.  There- 
fore, the  church  cannot  ignore  the  state. 

Neither  can  the  state  ignore  the  church.  The  character  of 
the  state  is  very  much  affected  by  the  presence  and  influence  of 
the  church.  To  say  the  least,  the  church  is  a  chief  pillar  of 
the  state,  a  mainstay  of  its  social  order.  And  it  is  most  surely 
this  when  there  is  no  direct  attempt  on  its  part  to  control 
political  issues  in  its  own  favor.  In  its  lowest  plane  of  in- 
fluence the  church  is  a  special  creator  of  material  values.  So 
well  is  this  recognized  that  men  outside  the  church,  and  who 
make  no  profession  of  their  Christian  faith,  will  say  that  they 
would  not  live  in  a  community  where  there  is  no  church,  and 
are  very  ready  to  contribute  to  its  support  on  purely  social 
grounds.  An  infidel  newspaper  has  complained  that  this  was 
true  even  among  its  patrons  and  supporters.  Such  men  most 
probably  realize  in  their  own  minds  the  thought  of  Dr.  Bush- 
nell's  question  to  a  rich  man  who  refused  to  help  in  the  build- 
ing of  a  church  in  Hartford.    He  said  to  the  rich  man:    "  My 


198 


Barriers 


friend,  I  want  you  to  think  of  something.  What  was  real 
estate  worth  in  Sodom?  "  On  a  similar  plane  of  influence  the 
church  supplements  the  police  force  of  the  state.  Wherever 
the  church  is  most  eflfective  in  its  work  the  minimum  of  civil 
authority  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  secure  the  highest  efficiency 
and  welfare  of  the  social  order.  In  general,  the  church  is  a 
better  and  more  effective  agency  in  preserving  the  good  order 
of  society  than  a  standing  army,  though  the  latter  may  some- 
times be  necessary. 

But  the  church  has  a  still  higher  plane  of  influence  in  rela- 
tion to  the  state  and  that  is  as  a  moral  tonic  and  mediator  be- 
tween the  various  kinds  of  opposing  forces  in  society.  It  has 
a  special  work  to  do  in  the  development  and  maintenance  of 
those  moral  sentiments  which  are  necessary  for  the  guidance 
of  the  nation  in  its  efforts  toward  the  settlement  of  interna- 
tional disputes  and  the  adjudication  of  the  disputes  of  the  di- 
verse classes  and  contending  interests  within  itself.  While  the 
church  is  a  spiritual  body  and  was  created  for  particular 
spiritual  ends,  it  is  not  so  spiritual  that  it  can  altogether  ignore 
the  things  that  belong  to  social  life  and  political  duty.  The 
whole  force  of  Scripture  shows  that  the  church  was  ordained 
to  be  the  special  promotor  of  high  ideals  of  righteousness  and 
justice  in  all  social,  business,  and  political  affairs,  and  that 
the  working  out  of  its  power  is  to  be  accomplished  by  means 
of  spiritual  forces  alone.  Physical  and  merely  worldly  forces 
have  been  forbidden  it. 

Prof.  Robert  Ellis  Thompson,  in  his  "  Divine  Order  of 
Human  Society,"  forcefully  presents  the  limitations  of  the 
particular  work  of  the  church  in  its  relation  to  the  state  in  the 
following  manner: 

"  The  relation  of  the  church  to  public  and  social  questions 
must  always  be  different  from  that  of  the  state.  If  we  take 
our  Lord's  own  method  and  that  of  the  apostolic  church  as 

i 


Militancy 


1 99 


our  standard,  we  shall  see  that  the  direct  discussion  and  attack 
of  social  evils,  the  dealing  with  the  evil  branches  of  an  evil 
tree,  is  not  '  the  ecclesiastical  way.'  Rather,  as  John  foretold 
of  Christ,  it  is  the  church's  work  to  lay  the  ax  at  the  root 
of  the  tree,  to  imbue  society  with  the  great  principles  of  right 
action,  and  to  leave  these  to  work  themselves  into  better  social 
methods.  It  was  a  right  instinct  that  brought  the  young  man 
to  Christ  to  ask  that  he  persuade  his  brother  to  give  him  his 
fair  share  of  the  inheritance.  He  felt  that  Christ  had  a  sense 
of  such  wrongs,  and  was  come  to  do  away  with  them.  Yet 
for  the  sake  of  thousands  our  Lord  must  not  deal  in  this  direct 
way  with  one  case.  He  answers:  'Who  made  me  a  judge 
or  divider  over  you?*  So  he  and  his  apostles  dealt  with  such 
social  wrongs  as  polygamy  and  slavery.  They  taught  what 
made  these  things  unendurable  to  an  enlightened  conscience, 
and  they  left  the  result  to  coming  generations. 

"  So  will  the  church  be  wise  to  deal  with  our  problems, 
not  as  having  a  cluster  of  ready-made  solutions  of  those  prob- 
lems, but  as  put  in  trust  with  great  principles  which  are  to 
lead  to  their  solution.  It  will  decline  to  be  made  a  judge 
or  a  divider,  while  it  accepts  in  some  degree  that  of  a  mediator, 
who  has  no  sentence  to  pronounce,  but  a  great  law  of  love 
and  brotherhood  to  proclaim  to  both  parties.  The  position 
claimed  for  the  papacy  in  the  Middle  Ages,  and  often  exer- 
cised, is  exactly  that  which  our  Master  refused.  It  was  an  at- 
tempt to  elevate  the  papal  see  to  the  rank  of  final  arbiter  in 
all  controversies,  with  the  right  to  invoke  the  temporal  powers 
to  enforce  its  decision.  The  manifold  evils  which  resulted 
from  that,  stand  as  a  warning  to  all  churches  that  they  should 
recognize  their  proper  sphere  and  its  limits,  and  leave  the  state 
to  do  its  proper  work." 

The  church,  therefore,  was  never  intended  by  its  Founder 
to  be  a  militant  church  in  any  materialistic  or  worldly  sense. 


200 


Barriers 


It  was  designed  to  be  a  great  spiritual  power  for  gaining  ends 
that  are  purely  spiritual  and  for  spiritualizing  other  institu- 
tions and  agencies  that  are  material  and  worldly.  In  doing 
its  work  for  these  it  must  needs  adjust  itself  to  their  material 
nature,  keep  itself  within  its  own  proper  sphere,  and  employ 
only  such  means  and  methods  as  are  suited  to  its  particular 
work.  But  the  natural  and  acquired  militancy  of  the  human 
heart  has  found  much  expression  in  the  life  and  work  of  the 
church.  One  of  the  philosophers  of  a  non-Christian  countr}' 
is  reported  to  have  said  that  his  chief  objection  to  Christianity 
was  the  militant  spirit  and  methods  of  its  devotees.  Has  there 
not  been  too  m.uch  ground  for  such  a  criticism?  Is  it  not  too 
often  true  that  the  disposition  to  use  material  and  worldly 
means  of  force  in  the  establishment  of  real  or  supposed 
righteousness  has  been  keener  and  more  manifest  than  the  dis- 
position to  be  a  brother  and  to  use  such  means  and  methods 
of  persuasion  as  the  spirit  of  brotherhood  requires?  Have 
not  many  of  us  more  confidence  in  mere  worldly  kinds  of  force 
to  gain  the  ends  which  we  desire  than  we  have  in  reason,  love, 
mercy,  kindness  and  forbearance  to  gain  these  ends  ?  Are  not 
all  of  us  somewhat  lopsided  in  our  moral  and  spiritual  tenden- 
cies and  aptitudes  because  of  our  militant  spirit? 

This  militant  spirit  has  been,  indeed,  the  source  of  much 
error  in  the  church.  It  has  led  to  many  false  beliefs  and 
wrong  practices  on  the  part  of  church  people.  Because  of  its 
influence  they  become  unsympathetic,  irritable,  and  contentious 
toward  one  another.  It  causes  them  to  think  that  patience 
has  ceased  to  be  a  virtue  just  at  the  time  it  is  most  needed 
and  its  luster  begins  to  shine.  It  makes  them  very  ready  to 
force  the  issue  in  regard  to  their  differences  of  opinion.  Not- 
withstanding the  great  progress  of  these  later  years  toward 
unit}'  there  is  still  too  much  of  this  spirit.  The  church  needs 
still  greater  faith  in  the  divine  plan  and  method  of  procedure 


Militancy 


201 


in  its  work.  It  needs  more  confidence  in  the  power  of  the 
truth,  of  reason,  of  love,  patience,  mercy,  kindness  and  for- 
bearance. It  needs  a  more  perfect  spiritual-mindedness,  and 
less  mere  human  wisdom,  in  all  its  aims,  means  and  methods 
of  work.  It  needs  a  great  purpose  to  confine  itself  to  the 
ways,  means,  and  methods  of  the  Master.  "  Blessed  arc  the 
meek:  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth." 


I 


IMPELLING  FORCES 


THE  POWER  OF  THE  TRUTH 


MONG  the  forces  which  are  impelling  forward  the  cause 


^of  Christian  unity,  the  power  of  truth  is  worthy  to  be 
noted  first.  All  truth  has  power,  because  it  is  the  revelation 
of  facts,  the  manifestation  of  things  as  they  are,  and  the  natural 
food  of  the  human  soul.  It  has  power  to  satisfy  the  cravings 
of  our  inner  life,  and  to  persuade  us  that  the  acceptance  of  its 
reality  is  our  primary  and  most  essential  need.  It  has  power 
to  arouse  and  stimulate  the  mental  and  moral  faculties  which 
we  possess,  to  convey  to  our  minds  the  sense  of  right,  to  mould 
our  consciences,  and  to  awaken  within  us  the  ideals  which  will 
make  our  lives  useful  and  happy.  It  is  the  rock  foundation 
of  every  great  and  noble  character. 

"Truth  is  the  oldest  of  all  the  virtues:  it  antedated  man, 
it  lived  before  he  was  man  to  perceive  it  or  to  accept  it.  It 
is  the  unchangeable,  the  constant.  Law  is  the  eternal  truth 
of  Nature  —  the  unity  that  always  produces  identical  results 
under  identical  conditions.  When  a  man  discovers  a  great 
truth  in  nature  he  has  the  key  to  the  understanding  of  a 
million  phenomena ;  when  he  grasps  a  great  truth  in  morals 
he  has  in  it  the  key  to  his  moral  re-creation.  For  the  in- 
dividual there  is  no  such  thing  as  theoretic  truth;  a  great  truth 
that  is  not  absorbed  by  our  whole  mind  and  life,  and  has  not 
become  an  inseparable  part  of  our  living  is  not  a  real  truth 
to  us.  If  we  know  the  truth  and  do  not  live  it,  our  life  is  — 
a  lie"  (William  George  Jordan). 

The  word  of  God  contains  the  truth  which  men  most  need 
to  know  about  His  church  and  plans  for  human  welfare.  Its 
truth  has  power  to  mould  their  minds  and  hearts  so  as  to 
bring  to  them  the  greatest  good  in  life.    Millions  of  Christian 


305 


2o6 


Impelling  Forces 


men  and  women  have  seen  enough  of  its  truth  to  make  for 
them  a  sure  foundation  upon  which  to  build  a  worthy  and 
substantial  character.  It  has  guided  them  in  all  their  aims  and 
efforts  to  live  the  righteous  life.  This  truth  is  the  rock  upon 
which  the  whole  superstructure  of  Christianity  is  built.  It  is 
the  solid  basis  upon  which  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  is 
founded,  and  is  the  source  of  guidance  in  all  its  aflFairs.  Truth 
prescribes  the  straight  line  in  morals,  which  is  the  shortest  dis- 
tance between  a  duty  and  the  performance  of  that  duty.  It 
determines  what  emotions  are  right  and  what  arc  wrong,  and 
has  much  power  in  persuading  men  to  choose  the  right  and 
shun  the  wrong.  It  strengthens  men  to  stand  alone  when  they 
are  right,  and  in  the  wrong  imposes  that  penalty  of  conscience 
which  "  makes  cowards  of  us  all."  The  word  of  God  is  the 
fountain  of  truth. 

The  truth  of  God's  word  is  old,  yet  ever  new,  a  continuous 
revelation  suitable  to  each  particular  age  of  His  church. 
"  Each  period  in  civilization  has  had,  in  turn,  its  own  peculiar 
interest  and  its  own  spiritual  demands,  and  each,  in  turn,  fol- 
lowing its  own  path  back  to  the  teaching  of  Jesus,  has  found 
there  what  seemed  an  extraordinary  adaptation  of  that  teach- 
ing to  immediate  issues  and  needs.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
surprising  traits  of  the  gospel.  It  seems  to  each  age  to  have 
been  written  for  the  sake  of  the  special  problems  which  at  the 
moment  appear  most  pressing.  As  each  new  transition  in 
human  interest  occurs,  the  teaching  of  Jesus  seems  to  possess 
new  value "  ( Frances  G.  Peabody,  "  Jesus  and  the  Social 
Question  "). 

The  age  in  which  we  live  is  one  in  which  the  idea  of  co- 
operation has  been  very  prominent  in  the  minds  of  men  and 
in  their  activities.  Within  twenty-five  years  a  great  revolution 
has  taken  place  in  the  business  world.  Many  great  trusts 
and  corporations  have  been  organized  in  which  a  large  number 


I 


The  Power  of  the  Truth 


207 


of  people  have  been  united  in  some  great  enterprise.  The 
value  of  such  organization  has  been  fully  demonstrated  in  the 
business  world.  The  old  order  of  things  will  never  return. 
Ever>'  line  of  business  has  felt  the  importance  and  benefit  of 
getting  together.  Great  economic  laws  have  been  seen  and 
appreciated  as  they  never  were  before  seen  and  appreciated, 
though  they  have  alwaj's  been  in  existence,  and  apprehended 
more  or  less  fully  by  a  few.  Multitudes  now  see  the  value 
and  necessity  of  these  principles  to  the  gaining  of  success,  and 
realize  that  modem  progress  became  possible  only  by  co- 
operation. This  revolution  in  the  business  world  has  made  a 
strong  impression  upon  the  minds  of  many  in  the  church,  and 
has  set  them  to  thinking  what  the  principle  of  co-operation 
might  do  for  the  church  and  in  what  way  and  how  far  the 
word  of  God  sanctions  this  principle.  They  have  found  that 
the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures  gives  strong  sanction  to  this 
principle  and  makes  obedience  to  its  requirements  a  thing  of 
vital  importance  to  the  welfare  of  the  church.  They  are  per- 
suaded that  the  laws  of  Christ's  Kingdom  require  a  perfect 
spirit  and  practice  of  co-operation  among  Christians.  They 
find  in  the  words  of  Jesus,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of 
Scripture,  the  truth  that  complete  co-operation  among 
Christians  is  a  duty,  and  that  this  co-operation  demands  per- 
fect unity.  They  find  in  the  prayer  of  Jesus  for  unity  a  long- 
ing that  his  followers  may  be  perfected  in  their  expression 
of  the  most  prominent  principle  of  the  present  age.  Many 
earnest  Christians  are  seeing  and  believing  that  the  most 
thorough,  comprehensive,  and  complete  organization  of  "  the 
greatest  business  in  the  world,"  the  work  of  the  church,  was 
in  the  mind  of  Jesus  when  he  declared  concerning  his  flock 
"  and  they  shall  become  one  fold,  one  shepherd,"  and  also  when 
he  prayed  "  that  they  may  be  f>erfected  into  one."  These 
Christian  men  and  women  arc  seeing  very  clearly,  too,  what 


208 


Impelling  Forces 


stress  the  Bible  lays  upon  those  qualities  in  men  which  make 
such  an  organization  possible,  and  which  will  be  necessary  to 
make  its  work  fully  effective  and  prosperous.  They  are  thus 
seeing  the  wonderful  adaptation  of  the  gospel  message  to  this 
age  of  comprehensive  organization  and  gigantic  enterprises. 
They  are  fully  persuaded  that  what  they  have  seen  is  the  truth 
of  God ;  and  this  new  understanding  of  His  truth  has  been 
taking  hold  upon  their  life  and  setting  them  to  work  for  what 
they  believe  to  be  according  to  His  will  in  the  greater  unity 
of  the  churches. 

This  conviction  has  been  fittingly  expressed  in  "  The  Pulpit 
Commentary."  The  Rev.  R.  H.  Reynolds,  D.D.,  in  com- 
menting on  the  prayer  of  Jesus  for  the  unity  of  His  followers, 
says  (John  17:21-23):  "It  is  impossible  to  exclude  from 
these  verses  the  idea  of  the  visibility  of  the  union  and  life  of 
the  church,  and  of  the  divine  love  to  it.  Nothing  is  said  or 
hinted,  however,  about  the  nature  of  that  visibility.  Christians 
are  not,  by  reason  of  their  differences,  to  exclude  from  this 
passage  the  promise  that  the  whole  assembly  of  the  Firstborn 
would  make  this  gracious  and  convincing  impression  on  the 
world.  They  are  far  enough  in  these  days  of  mutual  re- 
crimination, from  realizing  the  Divine  ideal,  and  should  set 
themselves  to  remedy  the  crying  evil;  but  they  have  no  right 
to  import  into  the  words,  by  reason  of  their  predilection  for 
particular  forms  of  Church  organization,  an  identification  of 
the  body  of  Christ  with  any  specific  form.  The  spiritual 
union  of  Christendom  in  its  one  faith,  hope,  and  character,  is, 
notwithstanding  the  divergence  of  some  of  its  forms  of  ex- 
pression, the  most  stupendous  fact  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
The  elite  of  all  Churches  are  drawing  more  and  more  into  a 
visible  unity."  This  same  conviction  has  been  well  expressed, 
also,   by  that  distinguished   and   honored   churchman.  The 


The  Power  of  the  Truth 


Bishop  of  Chicago  ("The  Manifestation  of  Unity"),  when 
he  says: 

"  The  burden  of  our  Lord's  prayer  was  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  will  of  God,  and  for  the  fruit  of  his  own  sacri- 
fice in  the  establishment  of  unity  and  in  its  manifestation  among 
his  disciples.  It  was  a  manifested  unity  for  which  Christ 
prayed.  '  That  they  may  be  one,'  was  the  prayer.  '  Even 
as  we  are  one,'  is  the  foundation  of  the  prayer.  '  I  in  them 
and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  perfected  into  one,  that  the 
world  may  know  that  thou  didst  send  me,  and  lovedst  them 
even  as  thou  lovedst  me.'  There  is  a  unity  to  be  believed  in, 
as  well  as  a  unity  to  be  exhibited  to  the  world.  It  is  im- 
portant to  keep  this  in  mind.  It  is  essential  to  realize  that 
the  interior  unity  of  the  church  is  a  divine,  imperishable  reality, 
and  that  our  task  is  not  to  make  unity,  but  to  make  it  manifest. 
Extraordinary  results  are  promised  from  this  manifestation  of 
unity.  There  is  unity,  but  the  world  cannot  see  it.  There  is 
unity,  but  the  world  does  not  believe  it.  Our  part  is  to  co- 
operate with  God  and  yield  to  the  strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
so  that  the  unity  of  the  church  will  be  actualized  and  visualized 
in  such  corporate  manner  that  the  world  can  see  it  with  its  own 
eyes,  and  seeing  it,  will  believe  in  the  power  and  love  of  God." 

The  same  conviction  filled  the  mind  of  a  well-known  author 
on  Missionary  subjects.  Dr.  Arthur  Judson  Brown  ("  Unity 
and  Missions"),  when  he  wrote  as  follows: 

"  The  words  of  Christ  appear  to  warrant  the  conclusion  that 
he  considered  union  an  indispensable  condition  to  the  evangel- 
ization of  the  world.  In  John  lo:  i6,  we  read:  'And  other 
sheep  I  have  which  are  not  of  this  fold ;  them  also  I  must  bring, 
and  they  shall  hear  my  voice  and  they  shall  become  one  flock, 
one  shepherd.'  Does  not  this  suggest  that  when  they  shall 
hear  his  voice,  that  is  as  one  result  of  hearing  it,  his  followers 


2IO 


Impelling  Forces 


'  shall  become  one  flock  '  ?  This  may  not  be  a  necessary  in- 
ference, but  it  is  certainly  a  possible  one.  John  13:34-35 
more  definitely  looks  in  the  same  direction.  '  A  new  com- 
mandment I  give  unto  you  that  ye  love  one  another;  .  .  . 
by  this  shall  all  men  know  that  we  are  my  disciples  if  ye  have 
love  one  to  another.'  Here  Christ  explicitly  declares  that  all 
men  shall  know  that  we  are  his  disciples  if  we  love  one  an- 
other. The  emphasis  becomes  still  stronger  in  John  17:21, 
'  That  they  may  all  be  one ;  even  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me 
and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in  us;  that  the  world  may 
believe  that  thou  didst  send  me.'  What  could  be  plainer  than 
this  statement?  He  prays  '  that  they  may  all  be  one '  in  order 
that  the  world  may  believe  that  he  was  sent  from  God.  One 
thinks  of  the  majestic  declaration  of  the  sixty-seventh  Psalm: 
'  God  be  merciful  unto  us  and  bless  us,  and  cause  his  face 
to  shine  upon  us ;  that!  in  order  that,  *  thy  way  may  be  known 
upon  earth,  thy  saving  health  among  all  nations.'  " 

A  comprehensive  study  of  the  Scriptures  in  regard  to  the 
principle  of  unity  and  co-operation  reveals  that  this  principle 
pervades  the  whole  of  Divine  revelation.  It  was  a  conspicuous 
fact  in  the  organization  of  the  Old  Testament  church  under 
the  leadership  of  Moses.  All  the  tribes  of  Israel  were  brought 
together  in  one  body  and  bound  together  by  the  same  forms 
of  worship  and  the  same  civil  and  religious  institutions.  The 
division  of  tribes  was  geographical  and  not  an  incoherent  mix- 
ture. All  the  tribes  were  constituted  one  church  and  one 
people.  In  their  entrance  and  occupation  of  the  promised  land 
they  acted  as  a  unit  and  gave  honor  to  the  tribes  which  in- 
sisted on  the  manifestation  of  their  unity.  During  the  period 
of  the  judges  the  importance  of  unity  in  securing  deliverance 
from  their  enemies  was  sometimes  realized  as  is  shown  by  the 
curse  on  Mcroz  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord  (Judges  5:  23),  and 
by  the  penalty  visited  by  Gideon  on  the  elders  of  Succoth  and 


The  Power  of  the  Truth 


211 


the  people  of  Penuel  (Judges  8:  15-17)  for  their  refusal  to  co- 
operate in  the  Lord's  work.  The  great  success  of  King  David 
in  the  building  up  of  a  strong  and  prosperous  people  was  due 
to  the  spirit  of  unity  and  co-operation  which  so  fully  pervaded 
the  minds  and  hearts  of  his  people.  When  he  was  made  king 
of  all  Israel  there  was  a  wonderful  expression  of  unity  in  the 
multitudes  which  joined  in  the  ceremonies  of  that  occasion. 
His  appreciation  of  this  unity  is  shown  when  he  teaches  them 
to  sing: 

"  Behold  how  good  a  thing  it  is 

And  how  becoming  well, 
When  those  that  brethren  are  delight 

In  unity  to  dwell. 
*Tis  like  the  precious  holy  oil 

Outpoured  on  Aaron's  head, 
That  o'er  his  beard  and  down  his  robes 

With  sweetest  fragrance  spread. 
As  Hermon's  copious  dew  doth  life 

To  Zion's  hills  restore; 
The  Lord  commands  His  blessing  there. 

Even  life  for  evermore."    (Psalm  133.) 

In  many  other  of  his  psalms  he  sings  of  the  universal  empire 
of  Jehovah  and  the  uniting  of  the  nations  under  Him.  The 
great  sin  of  Jereboam  was  his  destroying  the  spiritual  unity 
of  God's  people.  This  was  easier  to  do  because  their  organic 
unity  had  already  been  destroyed.  Their  organic  separation 
was  the  beginning  of  that  downward  path  which  finally  re- 
sulted in  their  ruin.  This  ideal  of  unity  filled  the  minds  of 
the  prophets  as  they  foresaw  the  future  triumphs  and  glory  of 
God's  people.  Isaiah  looks  forward  to  a  time  when  unity  shall 
be  fully  manifested  in  the  church,  in  regard  to  which  he  says: 
"Thy  watchmen  shall  lift  up  the  voice:  with  the  voice  to- 
gether shall  they  sing:  for  they  shall  see  eye  to  eye"  (Isa. 
52:  8).    The  sacred  historian  tells  us  that  the  infant  Christian 


212 


Impelling  Forces 


church  under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  with  which  it 
had  been  baptized  at  Pentecost,  was  very  fully  charged  with 
the  spirit  of  unity.  "  And  the  multitude  of  them  that  be- 
lieved were  of  one  heart  and  soul"  (Acts  4:32).  That  the 
apostles  taught  the  principles  of  unity  and  co-operation  is  very 
evident  to  every  thoughtful  reader  of  their  writings.  Their 
repeated  exhortations  in  regard  to  peace  and  harmony  show 
their  realization  of  the  importance  of  these  principles,  and  the 
desire  that  their  Christian  readers  shall  practice  them.  The 
great  stress  that  they  laid  upon  those  graces  and  virtues  which 
unite  people  is  convincing  evidence  that  their  aim  in  writing 
was  to  stimulate  their  readers  to  fulfill  those  conditions  which 
are  most  conducive  to  the  manifestation  of  unity  among  them. 

But  this  great  and  vital  truth,  which  was  presented  so  plainly 
and  emphasized  so  fully  throughout  the  Scriptures,  and 
especially  by  Jesus  and  His  Apostles,  in  course  of  time  became 
dimmed  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  claimed  to  be  His  people. 
They  lost  woefully  their  apprehension  and  appreciation  of  its 
significance  and  value.  They  became  jealous  and  suspicious 
one  of  another  and  then  contentious  and  hateful  toward  one 
another,  and  the  reign  of  error  and  falsehood  became  evident 
in  their  strife  and  separations.  In  every  age  there  were  a 
few  who  saw  the  truth  sufficiently  to  lament  the  divisions 
which  had  resulted  from  the  general  want  of  vision  on  this 
point,  and  the  distortion  of  the  truth  as  then  generally  per- 
ceived, but  the  great  multitude  had  little  thought  about  the 
need  of  unity  and  less  care.  So  it  has  been  through  many  cen- 
turies down  to  the  present  age. 

Within  the  present  generation,  however,  a  new  vision  of  this 
truth  has  been  developed  in  the  minds  of  many.  The  place 
and  importance  of  unity  and  co-operation  in  church  life  and 
work  is  being  seen  and  apprehended  in  a  new  light.  The  folly 
and  wickedness  of  modern  rivalries  and  competitions  have  been 


The  Power  of  the  Truth 


213 


impressed  upon  the  minds  of  many,  who  sadly  lament  the 
present  divided  condition  of  the  church,  and  would  gladly 
see  its  greater  unity  advanced.  This  new  vision  of  the  truth 
sufficiently  accounts  for  the  rapid  growth  of  the  interdenomi- 
national institutions  of  these  later  years  and  the  ready  support 
which  is  given  to  the  comprehensive  agencies  and  efforts  of 
these  institutions. 

Former  generations  sought  to  justify  divisions.  The  note 
of  justification  during  the  present  generation  has  been 
diminuendo.  There  are  still  those  who  believe  in  the  neces- 
sity of  divisions,  and  that  any  great  change  in  the  present  order 
is  too  idealistic  to  bring  practical  results,  but  the  number  of 
those  who  believe  that  many  of  these  divisions  can  be  healed, 
and  ought  to  be  healed,  is  growing  and  their  convictions  be- 
coming stronger  every  day.  The  truth  which  they  have  seen 
has  taken  such  a  grip  upon  their  minds  and  hearts  that  they 
are  constrained  to  tell  their  vision  and  to  seek  its  realization. 
It  looms  up  before  their  minds  as  a  matter  of  vital  significance 
to  the  welfare  of  every  community  of  Christian  people  and 
of  the  entire  work  of  the  church  on  behalf  of  Christ's  King- 
dom. It  has  the  zest  of  newly  apprehended  truth.  It  also 
carries  with  it  the  realization  that  it  has  been  a  truth  long 
neglected  on  account  of  which  the  church  has  suffered  many 
ills.  It  is  clearly  seen  to  be  a  truth  that  is  able  to  insure  great 
good  to  the  church,  great  advancement  to  Christ's  Kingdom 
and  great  glory  to  its  King. 

Every  great  reformation,  or  revolution,  in  the  church  in 
the  past  has  been  marked  by  a  new  apprehension  of  some 
particular  phase  of  truth  upon  which  special  emphasis  was 
placed.  The  truth  which  was  thus  emphasized  has  always 
had  an  existence,  but  was  apprehended  only  by  a  few,  and  per- 
haps not  very  strongly  by  these  until  the  revolution  came. 
But  some  event  of  providence  came  to  pass,  or  some  man,  or 


214  Impelling  Forces 

set  of  men,  was  raised  up,  by  which  a  new  vision  of  some  great 
and  long  neglected  truth  was  impressed,  first  upon  the  minds 
of  a  few,  and  then  upon  the  minds  of  many,  the  larger  part 
of  the  generation  then  living.  In  this  way  God  has  used  some 
succession  of  the  events  of  His  providence  to  awaken  the  con- 
sciences of  men  and  teach  them  anew  some  truth  which  they 
have  long  neglected.  Revolutions  in  the  commercial,  social, 
and  political  world  have  been  made  the  occasion  through  which 
He  caused  men  to  see  the  greatness  and  significance  of  certain 
phases  of  truth,  whose  importance  was  long  disregarded  and 
set  aside,  in  relation  to  the  Church. 

As  already  noted  the  great  commercial  revolution  which 
has  come  to  pass  within  the  present  generation  has  opened  the 
eyes  of  many  to  the  possibilities  of  good  to  the  church  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  union  and  co-operation  of  His  followers  and  that 
these  possibilities  are  in  harmony  with  His  revealed  will. 
They  have  seen  that  all  the  impetus  and  advantages  which  have 
come  to  commerce  and  trade  through  union  and  co-operation 
belong  to  the  church  and  are  according  to  the  purpose  of  its 
Founder.  They  are  persuaded  that  the  great  commercial  revo- 
lution which  has  been  going  on  has  special  significance  and 
value  in  the  opening  of  the  minds  of  Christians  to  a  new  and 
just  apprehension  of  a  great  truth  pertaining  to  His  Church, 
fully  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  but  very  poorly  apprehended 
through  many  centuries.  They  believe  that  the  God  of  all 
providence  would  have  His  people  recognize  the  greatness  of 
this  truth  through  this  business  revolution  and  come  together 
in  the  most  complete  and  perfect  unity. 

The  advent  of  the  present  great  war  has  added  strong 
emphasis  to  the  idea  of  union  and  co-operation  within  the 
church.  It  has  demonstrated  the  truthfulness  and  wide  range 
of  application  of  the  old  saying  that  "  in  union  there  is 
strength."    It  is  working  a  great  revolution  in  the  minds  of 


The  Power  of  the  Truth  215 


men  ever>-where  in  regard  to  the  exceedingly  great  value  of 
this  truth  to  the  success  of  any  great  cause.  It  is  causing 
many  Christian  people  to  understand  in  a  new  light,  and  to 
appreciate  more  deeply,  the  teaching  of  the  gospel  as  a  system 
of  truth  in  regard  to  the  unity  of  believers.  The  importance 
of  unity  in  national  affairs  in  relation  to  our  great  struggle 
is  thus  effectively  impressing  the  importance  of  unity  in  re- 
ligious afJairs.  In  this  great  world  contest  the  significance  and 
value  of  complete  unity  and  cooperation  are  being  manifested 
and  being  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  men  as  never  before. 
No  wonder  that  this  phase  of  gospel  truth  should  take  fast 
hold  upon  the  minds  of  many  earnest  Christian  people  and 
retain  them  firmly  in  its  grip.  The  truth  thus  seen  in  a  new 
and  providential  light,  which  may  fittingly  be  reckoned  to  be 
a  divine  light,  has  the  power  not  only  of  persuasion,  but  also 
of  corresponding  action  in  efforts  toward  greater  unity. 


THE  POWER  OF  LOVE 


OVE  is  a  very  great  power  in  the  world.    Its  influence 


-L 'is  very  far-reaching  and  effective.  Henry  Drummond  has 
called  it,  "  The  greatest  thing  in  the  world."  It  is  truly  the 
most  important  force  which  God  has  created  and  established 
in  His  universe.  It  is  the  one  that  best  expresses  His  own 
nature.  "  God  is  love."  It  emanates  from  Him  and  permeates 
the  whole  of  His  creation,  even  where  its  presence  is  unrecog- 
nized and  least  expected.  It  is  a  very  beneficent  force  that 
brings  most  important  results  to  every  kind  of  life,  and 
especially  to  human  life.  It  is  a  force  whose  range,  compass, 
and  power,  are  very  meagerly  realized. 

The  law  of  love  is  sacrifice, —  willing  sacrifice.  This  is  the 
thing  by  which  it  is  expressed.  Back  of  this  expression  is  the 
motive,  which  is  the  disposition,  the  ready  willingness,  to  make 
the  sacrifice  which  will  conduce  to  the  welfare  of  another. 
This  disposition  to  help  others  at  the  loss  of  one's  personal 
interests  reveals  its  presence  by  the  sacrifice  necessary  to  give 
the  help  needed.  Our  Heavenly  Father  shows  a  disposition  of 
mind  to  help  others  by  the  sacrifices,  which  He  is  always,  and 
ever  has  been,  making  on  behalf  of  all  His  creatures.  He  is 
continually  giving,  giving,  giving  of  His  energy  and  resources 
for  their  good.  Unceasingly  He  is  bestowing  invaluable  gifts 
upon  the  human  race,  many  of  whom  are  ungrateful  for  these 
gifts.  The  most  precious  and  important  of  His  gifts  to  men  is 
the  gift  of  His  Son  for  their  salvation.  With  this  great  gift  a 
multitude  of  other  spiritual  gifts  are  bestowed.  All  these  gifts 
are  the  sacrifices  of  His  love.  They  are  the  expression  of  that 
love,  the  proof  of  its  existence  and  greatness,  and  the  revelation 


216 


The  Power  of  Love 


217 


of  its  beneficent  and  tender  nature.  He  is  truly  "  the  great 
giver  of  all  good."  He  lives  according  to  that  lavv^  of  love  of 
which  He  is  the  author  and  promoter,  and  which  He  exempli- 
fies in  all  His  works.  When  He  imposes  this  law  of  love  on 
us,  He  only  asks  obedience  to  that  law  which  He  himself  obeys. 
When  He  demands  of  us  the  surrender  of  self  in  readiness  to 
sacrifice  for  others,  He  is  acting  according  to  a  law  which  all 
His  creatures  are  required  to  obey. 

Love  is  the  law  of  life.  It  is  the  force  that  gives  to  life  its 
value,  determines  its  significance,  and  secures  its  best  develop- 
ment. The  scientists  tell  us  that  away  down  in  the  existence 
of  the  microscopic  cell  love  is  the  law  of  life  that  rules.  The 
individual  cell  gains  the  highest  measure  of  life  for  itself 
through  self-sacrifice.  The  tissues  of  brain,  nerve,  muscle,  bone 
and  other  parts  of  our  bodies  can  be  living  tissues  only  because 
love,  which  reveals  itself  by  sacrifice  for  others,  is  the  ruling 
force  in  cell  life.  But  love  as  the  law  of  life  becomes  more 
and  more  significant  as  the  scale  of  being  rises.  The  higher  we 
rise  the  stronger  and  better  love  is,  and  the  richer  and  nobler 
is  life.  The  lowest  forms  of  animal  life  are  those  which  have 
the  least  of  love  in  their  nature.  The  higher  the  order  of  animal 
life  the  greater  its  capacity  to  love.  Man  is  above  the  beasts 
of  the  field  because  of  his  superior  capacity  in  the  scope  and 
power  of  his  affections.  The  most  important  difference  which 
is  to  be  found  among  men,  is  that  relating  to  the  range  and 
strength  of  good  emotions.  The  importance  of  love  in  the 
development  of  character  is  thus  presented  by  Prof.  George  E. 
Dawson:  "  He  who  loves  most  lives  most.  This  is  true 
whether  the  individual  consciously  seeks  to  increase  the  totality 
of  love  in  himself  and  others  or  not.  But  it  becomes  a  far  more 
vital  and  energizing  truth  for  him  who  intelligently  compre- 
hends its  meaning  and  accepts  it  as  a  law  of  life.  Such  an  in- 
dividual then  enters  upon  a  higher  form  of  self-control  than  any 


2l8 


Impelling  Forces 


hitherto  known  to  him.  He  begins  to  be  self-determining,  self- 
creative,  in  a  sense  hitherto  unrealized.  He  becomes  a  power 
among  his  fellow-men,  a  benefactor,  a  creator  of  other  lives  to 
a  degree  surpassing  his  previous  efforts.  .  .  .  Henceforth  he  is 
a  co-worker  with  Him  who  is  the  source  of  life.  Henceforth 
he  consciously  shares  the  strength  and  joy  of  Him  who  has 
created  the  world  and  all  its  creatures  out  of  the  fullness  of 
His  love." 

Love  was  the  law  of  life  with  Jesus.  It  was  the  motive  that 
impelled  Him  forward  in  His  mission,  the  guardian  of 
all  His  thoughts,  and  the  efficient  cause  in  all  His  activities. 
It  was  the  creator  of  all  His  ideals,  the  f  ramer  of  His  philosophy 
of  life,  the  core  of  all  His  teaching,  and  the  mainspring  of  all 
His  miracles.  He  loved  men  and  sacrificed  His  own  comfort, 
convenience,  and  life,  that  He  might  save  them.  Moreover,  in 
the  sacrifice  of  Himself  He  realized  His  own  possibilities,  se- 
cured the  complete  development  of  His  own  character,  and 
gained  for  Himself  that  high  excellence  which  constituted  Him 
"  the  perfect  man."  Love  was  the  special  and  most  significant 
feature  of  His  system  of  truth,  which  gave  to  that  system  a 
clear  outline,  like  some  bold  mountain  peak,  and  made  it  rad- 
ically diflFercnt  from  all  other  systems.  In  His  philosophy  of 
life  the  Father  is  the  center  of  the  universe,  and  as  its  creator 
binds  the  whole  of  it  to  Himself  with  the  power  of  His  love. 
He  is  deeply  conscious  of  His  oneness  with  the  Father,  and 
makes  manifest  His  full  confidence  that  the  father  and  He  are 
in  perfect  harmony  in  regard  to  every  essential  principle  of 
being.  He  can  do  nothing  without  the  Father  and  all  their 
activities  are  the  result  of  their  unity  in  purpose  and  effort. 
They  both  arc  anxious  that  men  shall  share  in  their  life,  per- 
fections, and  glory,  and  agree  that  men  are  to  be  brought  into 
this  fellowship  by  the  power  of  love.    Jesus  was  confident  in  its 


I  

The  Power  of  Love  219 

power  to  do  this,  as  is  shown  by  His  declaration:  "  And  I,  if  I 
be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  Myself  " 
(John  12:32). 

Love  as  the  law  of  life  was  imposed  by  Jesus  on  his  disciples. 
It  was  only  in  this  way  that  they  could  gain  likeness  to  Himself, 
and  to  the  Father.  It  had  been  eternally  decreed  that  it  was 
essential  to  their  Sonship  in  the  household  of  God,  and  to  their 
citizenship  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  He  taught  that  the  first 
great  duty  of  men  is  to  love  God  with  all  the  heart,  soul,  and 
mind,  and  next  to  this,  to  love  one's  neighbor  as  one's  self.  He 
knew  that  men  can  realize  their  highest  possibilities,  and  become 
worthy  specimens  of  noble  manhood,  only  through  its  power. 
The  significance  of  this  power  is  presented  by  the  Rev.  J.  W. 
Lee,  D.D.,  ("  The  Making  of  a  Man  ")  in  the  following  man- 
ner: 

"  One  life  has  appeared  among  men,  then,  that  was  all  love. 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  original,  absolutely  unselfish  life  that 
has  been  lived  upon  the  earth.  The  saints  have  found  the  secret, 
and  strength,  and  the  inspiration  of  their  unselfishness  and  love 
in  Him.  The  love  which  matches  and  meets  the  illimitable 
nature  of  the  human  spirit  is  embodied  in  a  life  that  cannot  be 
measured  by  the  ordinary  rules  and  standards  of  men.  The 
object  of  which  hunger  is  the  subject,  is  bread ;  the  object  of 
which  intellect  is  the  subject,  is  truth ;  the  object  of  which  the 
aesthetic  sense  is  the  subject,  is  beauty ;  the  object  of  which  the 
spiritual  nature  is  the  subject,  is  Jesus  Christ.  The  spirit  of 
man,  which  has  for  its  correlate  in  time,  the  race,  has  for  its 
correlate  in  eternity,  the  life  of  one  in  which  is  summed  up  all 
power,  all  truth,  all  law,  all  beauty,  and  all  love.  As  the  em- 
bodiment of  love  the  human  spirit  finds  in  Christ  the  climate 
and  the  conditions  exactly  adapted  to  its  own  civilization.  The 
plan  and  pattern,  the  invisible  framework  and  ideal  of  every 


220 


Impelling  Forces 


man's  life  is  Christian.  To  be  an  oak  is  to  be  a  perfect  acorn, 
to  be  an  apple  is  to  be  a  complete  flower,  to  be  a  Christian  is  to 
be  a  complete  man." 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Arthur  Smoot,  D.D.  (Jesus  and  His  Phi- 
losophy of  Love,  The  Homiletic  Review,  Oct.,  1914),  also 
presents  the  significance  of  love  in  Christian  character  in  the 
following  manner:  "  The  efficacy  of  love  to  meet  every  possible 
social,  economic,  and  political  condition  is  clearly  indicated  by 
the  claims  of  Jesus.  To  his  mind,  no  contingency  in  life  can 
possibly  arise  that  is  able  to  defeat  love.  Only  by  loving  can 
the  heart  gain,  and  only  by  hating  can  it  lose.  It  is  the  one 
positive  principle  of  existence  —  the  love  which  He  declares  in 
His  doctrine  to  be  His  distinctive  attribute.  By  it  all  enemies 
are  to  be  overcome.  And  that  seems  a  hard,  not  to  say  incon- 
ceivable, thing  to  believe.  For  my  enemy  is  certainly  hostile  to 
my  welfare;  he  is,  by  the  nature  of  the  case,  unlovely,  and  may 
be,  inherently,  very  wicked.  But  not  totally  so.  For  the 
Teacher  of  this  new  philosophy  could  not  ask  me  to  love  any  one 
that  is  totally  bad ;  that  were  a  monstrous  thing  to  require.  But 
there  is  nothing  arbitrary  or  unreasonable  in  the  injunction: 
for  to  love  an  enemy  is  the  only  way  by  which  I  can  work 
toward  his  uplift  into  a  place  of  unity  and  utility  in  my  own 
life.  I  am  not  to  love  him  for  the  bad  that  is  him,  but  the 
rather,  despite  the  bad  I  am  to  love  him  for  the  modicum  of 
goodness  that  he  possesses.  And  when  love  has  drawn  whatever 
goodness  there  is  in  him  to  the  plane  of  whatever  goodness  there 
is  within  myself,  there  is  a  union  of  two  human  forces  that 
coalesces  with  that  infinite  force  of  divine  love,  and  the  united 
stream  sweeps  on  '  toward  that  far-off  divine  event.'  The 
supreme  task  of  love  is  to  draw  into  this  current  every  indi- 
vidual force  in  the  race.  This  achievement,  as  the  ideal  of 
Jesus,  is  the  mystery  of  Godliness  that  so  attracted  and  exer- 
cised Saint  Paul.    He  had  looked  into  various  philosophies, 


The  Power  of  Love 


221 


but  none  seemed  to  him  to  compare  in  reasonableness  and  essen- 
tial value  with  that  of  Jesus.  For  while  other  philosophers 
had  toilsomely  striven  to  reach  a  basis  of  absolute  oneness 
and  unity,  clashing  meanwhile  among  themselves  in  the  midst 
and  twilight  of  finite  reason,  here  was  a  Galilean  who  de- 
clared that  love  will  bring  every  force  in  the  cosmos  together  in 
one  point,  namely,  in  the  heart  of  the  Father!  And  to  Paul's 
mind  the  thongs  of  love  predicated  by  eternal  fatherhood  posscst 
a  strength  that  could  never  be  broken." 

Love  was  ordained  to  be  the  ruling  spirit  of  the  Christian 
church.  This  is  evident  both  from  its  nature  as  the  greatest 
of  divine  attributes  and  the  highest  of  all  human  characteristics, 
and  from  the  fact  that  Jesus  placed  special  emphasis  upon  it  in 
His  last  talk  with  His  disciples  before  His  death,  and  made  it 
the  test  of  their  discipleship  before  the  world.  It  was  a  special 
gift  bestowed  upon  the  church  in  connection  with  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  at  its  birth  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  and  was 
made  a  vital  power  in  its  growth  and  development.  The  first 
members  of  the  early  church  were  filled  with  such  a  love  that 
they  were  ready  to  sacrifice  all  their  possessions  for  the  common 
good.  They  realized  the  fullness  of  their  new  life  through  the 
law  of  love  in  self-sacrifice.  The  power  of  the  love  that 
wrought  in  their  lives  reached  out  to  others  and  the  church 
was  greatly  blessed.  The  first  few  centuries  of  its  existence 
were  characterized  by  a  manifest  spirit  of  love  among  the 
brethren  and  the  church  made  a  very  rapid  growth  during  that 
period.  At  that  time  it  could  be  said  "  Behold  how  these 
Christians  love  one  another."  It  was  a  day  of  spiritual  power 
—  a  day  when  the  power  of  love  was  realized  and  was  mani- 
fested very  fully. 

But  there  came  a  falling  away  in  the  spirit  of  love  and  a 
consequent  decline  in  its  power.  The  essential  condition  of 
power  being  absent,  the  power  itself  could  not  be  realized.  As 


222 


Impelling  Forces 


the  spirit  of  love  declined  the  church  failed  before  its  enemies. 
Too  often  the  spirit  and  power  of  love  was  supplanted  by 
the  spirit  and  power  of  hate.  The  bond  of  union  being  thus 
supplanted  by  the  source  of  contention  and  strife,  separations 
and  divisions  were  sure  to  follow,  and  lasting  enmities  created. 

But  whatever  of  influence  for  good  remained  in  the  church 
in  its  condition  of  decline,  that  influence  was  the  result  of  the 
spirit  of  love  that  remained.  And  there  have  been  periods  in  its 
history  when  the  power  of  love  was  manifest  in  some  important 
ways  and  the  church  was  prosperous  during  these  periods  and 
exerted  much  influence  for  good.  From  time  to  time  individual 
Christians  have  appeared  who  apprehended  with  great  fullness 
the  power  of  God's  love  and  were  made  the  means  of  trans- 
mitting it  to  others.  These  were  noble  characters  who  each 
realized  in  his  own  life  its  greatest  fullness  and  blessedness. 
They  were  proofs  that  the  power  of  love  is  unfailing  where 
love  itself  exists.  This  power  has  never  failed  to  be  demon- 
strated where  it  was  rightly  tested.  It  cannot  be  questioned 
that  the  church's  failure  through  the  centuries  to  mould  the 
characters  of  men  and  nations,  according  to  Scriptural  models 
and  ideals,  has  been  because  the  power  of  love  was  not  present, 
and  the  commandments  of  Jesus  in  regard  to  love  and  for- 
giveness were  misconstrued  and  their  requirements  ignored. 

But  there  are  some  evidences  that  the  spirit  of  love  is  increas- 
ing in  the  churches  of  our  day.  This  is  surely  indicated  by  the 
spirit  of  brotherhood  that  has  grown  up  these  later  years. 
These  brotherhoods  of  modern  times  are  not  ecclesiastical  and 
monastic  as  were  the  brotherhoods  of  medieval  times,  but  are 
for  the  Christian  men  who  are  active  in  the  affairs  of  every  day 
life.  The  message  of  these  brotherhoods  is  one  of  love.  Their 
name  is  evidence  of  this.  A  brother  is  one  to  be  loved.  He 
belongs  to  the  same  household.  The  family  is  "  the  institute  of 
love."    Every  member  is  a  member  of  an  institution  whose  mis- 


The  Power  of  Love 


223 


sion  is  to  nurture  courtesy,  gentleness,  truth,  justice,  unselfish- 
ness, love.  The  purpose  of  these  brotherhoods  is  to  help  men 
in  their  relation  to  the  work  of  the  church,  to  inspire  among 
men  of  the  church  and  community  the  spirit  of  co-operation  and 
social  service,  and  to  bring  men  into  the  membership  and 
activities  of  the  church.  Within  the  last  few  j'ears  a  large 
number  of  these  brotherhoods  have  been  formed.  Then  there  is 
the  adult  Bible  class  movement  which,  being  organized  inter- 
denominationally,  has  had  a  wonderful  growth  embracing 
at  the  present  time  over  three  million  Bible  students.  Another 
evidence  of  the  increasing  spirit  of  love  among  the  churches  is 
the  friendly  fraternal  relations  now  existing  between  them,  and 
their  continuance  of  standing  commissions  and  committees  on 
union,  from  year  to  year,  especially  in  the  larger  denominations. 
The  formation  of  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of 
Christ  in  America,  the  Free  Church  Council  in  England,  and 
similar  organizations  in  other  countries,  are  evidence  of  a  grow- 
ing spirit  of  love  among  Christians.  All  the  movements  and 
efforts  which  point  toward  the  union  of  all  Christian  people  are 
proofs  that  the  power  of  love  is  at  work  in  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  God's  people.  Many  earnest  Christians  in  all  the 
churches,  who  have  great  love  for  the  church  as  the  body  of 
Christ,  and  as  the  brotherhood  of  saints,  and  have  recognized 
its  nature  as  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  whole  truth  including 
that  about  Christian  love  and  kindred  graces,  and  have  seen  that 
the  church  has  been  ordained  to  be  an  effective  peace  society, 
are  being  impelled  by  the  power  of  this  love  to  pray  and  work 
for  organic  union  as  well  as  the  spiritual  unity  of  all  Christian 
people. 

This  love  which  is  impelling  them  thus  to  pray  and  work  is 
truly  a  great  affection.  It  is  very  comprehensive  in  its  range. 
It  embraces  the  highest  welfare  of  the  whole  human  race. 
It  includes  the  people  of  every  clime  and  every  condition  of 


224 


Impelling  Forces 


life.  It  goes  out  to  all  mankind  as  the  children  of  one  Father. 
It  seeks  the  good  of  every  human  being  in  the  restored  image  of 
God  upon  character  and  life.  It  longs  for  the  development  of 
the  noblest  virtues  in  the  lives  of  men  everywhere.  It  sees 
the  church's  possibilities  for  the  widest  and  fullest  attainment 
of  these  ends.  It  recognizes  in  a  new  light  that  the  church  is 
intended  for  the  benefit  of  all  mankind,  the  salvation  of  the 
whole  human  race.  It  perceives  as  never  before  the  greatness 
and  the  value  of  the  blessings  possible  to  men  through  the  full 
accomplishment  of  the  great  mission  for  which  the  church  was 
created  by  its  Founder.  It  transcends,  absorbs,  modifies  and 
purifies  denominational  love  which  too  often  is  very  narrow 
and  limited  in  its  range.  It  is  as  much  bigger  and  broader  than 
any  denominational  love  as  the  whole  body  of  the  church  of 
Christ  is  bigger  and  broader  than  any  one  of  its  members.  It 
is  not  only  bigger  and  broader  in  the  scope  of  its  application  but 
also  in  the  superior  quality  which  it  possesses.  It  has  graces 
and  virtues  which  a  narrower  range  of  affection  cannot  possess. 

Again,  this  love  which  is  impelling  many  Christians  of  the 
present  day  to  pray  and  work  for  the  unification  of  the  churches 
is  an  affection  that  is  new  in  some  important  aspects.  It  is 
new  in  the  quickening  impetus  it  has  received  from  modern 
progress  through  the  development  of  international  intercourse 
and  the  means  of  rapid  intelligence.  This  progress  has  made 
the  whole  world  seem  much  nearer  than  it  did  in  past  times. 
It  has  given  a  new  and  more  intense  interest  in  all  the  races 
of  men.  It  is  new  in  the  momentum  it  has  gotten  from  the 
modern  means  of  rapid  intelligence  and  the  increased  knowl- 
edge now  possessed  of  the  people  of  all  lands.  It  is  new  in  the 
breadth  and  scope  of  its  conception  of  the  mission  of  the  church 
in  the  salvation  of  the  whole  human  race.  Christian  men  and 
women  are  learning  to  feel  in  the  larger  sphere  of  world 
emotions.    It  is  new  in  the  range  of  loyalty  to  the  church  which 


The  Power  of  Love 


225 


it  invokes.  Its  loyalty  is  to  the  larger  group,  not  to  the  small 
group  of  some  denomination,  but  to  the  highest  interest  of  the 
universal  group,  the  whole  human  race.  It  is  thus  close  akin  to 
the  larger  and  better  patriotism  to  which  the  nations  are  being 
called  to-day.  It  is  a  new  emotion  in  the  fuller  meaning  and 
significance  of  its  sacrifice.  The  sacrifice  which  it  inspires  is 
seen  to  have  a  world  wide  application  and  value.  It  gives  a 
new  zest  to  sacrifice  to  realize  that  its  eflFect  for  good  will  help 
the  cause  of  an  institution  whose  uplift  to  humanit}'  reaches  the 
ends  of  the  earth. 

Moreover,  this  love  which  is  impelling  Christian  men  and 
women  to  pray  and  work  for  greater  unity  in  the  church  of 
Jesus  Christ  is  more  reasonable  than  any  love  which  relates 
merely  or  largely  to  a  denomination.  In  the  special  Greek 
word  used  to  express  this  love,  agape,  the  Scriptures  teach  that 
love  for  the  church  is  to  be  rational.  Surely  love  for  the  whole 
body  of  Christ  is  more  rational  than  any  special  love  for  some 
particular  member.  A  true  love  for  the  whole  body  insures  a 
better  love  for  every  member  than  some  special  love  for  a  par- 
ticular member  insures  for  the  whole  body.  It  is  more  im- 
portant to  love  the  whole  body  than  any  of  its  parts.  Such 
love  is  also  more  reasonable  because  of  its  reflex  influence  upon 
the  mind  and  heart  of  its  possessor.  He  thinks  and  feels  in 
larger  terms,  and  "  As  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart  so  is  he." 

Still  further,  this  love  which  is  impelling  Christian  men  and 
women  to  pray  and  work  for  greater  unity  is  more  Christlike 
than  any  sectarian  love  can  be.  His  love  was  for  the  whole 
world,  and  not  some  class  or  sect.  "  God  so  loved  the  world 
that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son."  His  thought  and  feel- 
ing embraced  the  whole  human  race.  The  group  for  which 
His  love  was  manifested  included  everybody,  everywhere.  It 
was  not  limited  to  some  particular  group  with  some  peculiar 
cast  of  mind.    He  associated  Himself  in  thought,  feeling  and 


226 


Impelling  Forces 


purpose  with  the  universal  group  and  died  that  it  might  live. 
His  love  was  not  for  Jew  alone,  but  reached  out  to  all  the 
Gentile  world.  His  bestowal  of  love  was  not  partial  or  limited, 
but  includes  the  people  of  every  race,  every  tribe  and  every 
tongue. 


THE  POWER  OF  A  GREAT  IDEAL 


IT  is  the  nature  of  man  to  form  ideals.  He  is  doing  this 
continually  and  in  regard  to  every  phase  of  life.  The 
character  of  his  ideals  is  the  measure  of  the  man.  What  a 
man  hopes  to  be  is  the  index  of  what  he  will  be.  The  habit  of 
right  thinking  goes  before  the  habit  of  right  action.  All  fine 
and  superior  work  is  the  result  of  an  ideal.  The  picture  was 
formed  within  the  mind  before  it  was  painted  on  the  canvas. 
The  building  in  all  its  parts  and  features  were  clearly  seen  be- 
fore the  plans  and  specifications  were  drawn.  Men's  lives  never 
rise  higher  than  their  ideals  and  they  are  sure  to  fail  of  high  at- 
tainment when  their  ideals  are  low.  The  boat  that  drifts  is  sure 
to  go  down  stream,  and  if  men  would  go  up  stream  they  must 
have  a  purpose  of  that  kind.  They  have  often  made  shipwrecks 
of  their  lives  and  wasted  their  talents  and  resources  because  their 
ideals  were  low  and  degrading.  It  is  of  the  nature  of  all  true 
ideals  that  their  object  should  lie  far  beyond  the  present  attain- 
ment. Their  power  over  us  i§  in  their  loftiness.  What  are  a 
man's  ideals  in  respect  to  the  church?  What  are  his  visions 
for  himself  and  others  in  relation  to  it?  The  answer  to  these 
questions  will  tell  the  story  of  his  life  and  of  his  activities  as  a 
churchman. 

The  faculty  of  mind  by  which  ideals  are  formed  is  a  very  im- 
portant one:  indeed,  by  some  it  is  thought  to  be  the  greatest  of 
human  powers ;  at  least,  it  is  one  of  the  greatest.  Without  it 
man  would  not  be  man.  Without  it  he  would  have  no  house  in 
which  to  dwell,  no  furniture,  no  cooking  utensils,  no  barns  nor 
storehouses,  no  shops  nor  tools,  no  machinery,  no  factories,  no 
carriages  nor  wagons,  no  automobiles  nor  railroads,  no  boats  nor 

227 


228 


Impelling  Forces 


ships,  no  telephone  nor  telegraph,  no  microscopes  nor  tele- 
scopes, no  papers,  books  nor  periodicals,  no  schools, 
colleges  nor  universities,  no  government  nor  statesmanship,  no 
courts  nor  established  principles  of  law,  no  songs  nor  musical 
instruments,  no  churches  nor  great  assemblies  of  Christian 
worshippers.  It  is  a  facult}^  tliat  is  constantly  in  use  in  every 
line  of  human  endeavor  and  activity.  Appeals  are  continually 
being  made  to  it  in  every  avocation  and  avenue  in  life. 

Men  greatly  differ  in  the  nature  of  their  ideals.  They  may 
be  high,  or  they  may  be  low.  High  ideals  make  men  energetic, 
frugal,  solicitous,  effective,  public-spirited,  religious  and  suc- 
cessful. Low  ideals  make  men  lazy,  wasteful,  indifferent,  in- 
ef¥ective,  selfish,  irreligious  and  unsuccessful  in  the  real  mission 
of  life.  Ideals  are  either  true  or  false.  True  ideals  are  as  cer- 
tain and  permanent  in  their  results  as  the  truth  is  certain  and 
permanent.  Such  ideals  are  the  sure  foundation  upon  which  is 
built  all  the  progress  and  all  the  prosperity  of  the  human  race. 
False  ideals  come  from  crude  and  sinful  notions  and  lead  to 
instability,  degradation  and  ruin.  In  the  formation  of  their 
ideals  men  need  to  distinguish  between  the  Jack-o'-lantern  and 
the  lantern  that  is  real,  between  the  pole-star  and  a  flashing 
meteor,  between  the  light  of  the  moon  and  a  glaring  bonfire. 
Men  have  often  been  wanting  in  the  power  of  clear  distinction, 
but  that  does  not  weaken  or  destroy  the  value  of  such  ideals  as 
are  both  high  and  true. 

The  Bible  is  a  book  of  such  ideals.  Its  purpose  is  to  hold 
up  these  ideals  before  men  for  their  inspiration,  guidance,  and 
help.  It  does  this  in  the  commandments  which  it  imposes,  in 
the  promises  which  it  presents,  and  in  the  warnings  it  contains. 
It  holds  up  these  ideals  in  a  very  impressive  way  in  its  revelation 
of  their  effect  upon  the  character  of  the  worthy  and  noble  heroes 
which  it  presents.  Their  visions  and  ideals  were  one  and  in- 
separable.   The  ideal  of  Abraham  was  a  country  where  Jehovah 


The  Power  of  a  Great  Ideal 


229 


the  creator  and  disposer  of  all  things  should  be  worshipped  as 
the  living  and  true  God  by  a  nation  of  devoted  and  faithful  peo- 
ple, his  own  posterity.  Joseph's  ideal  of  power  was  first  a  dream, 
and  then,  when  his  character  had  been  fully  formed,  a  reality. 
The  ideal  of  Moses  was  the  deliverance  of  his  own  race  from 
bondage  and  the  organization  of  that  people  into  a  strong, 
vigorous  and  religious  church  and  nation.  The  ideal  of  Samuel, 
the  priestly  prophet,  was  the  religious  unity  and  development  of 
the  chosen  people  under  the  influence  of  the  schools  of  the 
prophets,  which  he  established,  into  a  people  loyal  and  faith- 
ful to  their  God.  The  ideal  of  David,  the  great  King,  was  a 
mighty  and  prosperous  people  who  were  loyal  and  devoted  to  the 
worship  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel.  The  ideal  of  the 
prophets  was  a  righteous  people  devoted  and  faithful  to  their 
God,  a  prosperous  and  mighty  city  and  nation  through  obedience 
to  the  will  of  their  God.  The  ideal  of  Jesus  and  his  apostles  is 
that  of  a  glorious  and  universal  church  made  up  of  those,  who, 
out  of  every  nation  under  heaven,  shall  live  the  life  of  faith,  en- 
deavor earnestly  to  keep  his  commandments,  love  one  another, 
and  their  enemies  as  well,  and  are  daily  "  perfecting  holiness  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord."  The  Bible  is  truly  a  book  of  great  and 
noble  ideals. 

Men's  ideals  are  to  be  enlarged  and  improved.  This  is 
possible  in  the  case  of  all  such  as  fall  below  those  which  are 
presented  and  supported  by  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures,  or 
are  in  any  way  defective  according  to  the  revelation  there 
given.  It  is  the  purpose  of  all  religious  education  in  the  home, 
church,  everywhere,  to  nuture,  enlarge,  and  perfect  right  ideals. 
It  is  a  work  requiring  mental  discipline  and  moral  determina- 
tion. To  think  the  best  things  is  not  unfrcquently  as  hard  as 
to  do  the  best  things.  No  one  is  ever  likely  to  happen  upon 
a  great  ideal  and  a  great  career.  The  very  idea  of  advance- 
ment demands  as  its  prerequisite  a  clearly  defined  purpose.  Too 


230 


Impelling  Forces 


often  what  is  supposed  to  be  a  definite  conception  of  purpose  is 
only  a  vague  dream,  which  must  be  brought  into  a  definite  shape, 
before  it  can  ever  become  a  great  power  in  the  life.  It  must  be 
brought  into  close  relation  to  one's  daily  opportunities  and 
work.  A  true  ideal  must  include  the  most  exalted  visions,  and 
the  simplest  duties.  Such  an  ideal  is  an  incomprehensible  power 
in  the  life  of  any  man.  It  will  give  him  gratitude  and  strength 
in  the  doing  of  his  work,  and  will  lift  the  daily  round  of  duty 
and  of  toil  into  the  realm  of  pleasure  and  of  peace.  The  Rev. 
Samuel  Zane  Batten  ("The  New  Citizenship"),  has  said: 
"  Let  no  Christian  disciple  be  afraid  to  dream  and  cherish  his 
ideals.  '  Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people  perish.'  The  ideals 
of  a  nation  are  more  important  than  its  laws  and  legislatures. 
Youth  especially  is  the  time  of  aspiration  and  idealism.  But 
the  prophet  Joel  foresaw  a  day  when  young  men  shall  see 
visions  and  old  men  shall  dream  dreams.  Let  every  one  then, 
of  whatever  age,  who  would  advance,  who  would  be  that  great 
and  wonderful  thing  God  meant  him  to  be,  not  fear  to  cherish 
his  finest  and  highest  ideals.  These  ideal  visions  are  the  breath 
of  eternity  blowing  across  the  stagnant  marshes  of  this  world 
to  cleanse  and  purify  them.  Let  a  man  give  his  ideals  a  chance 
to  develop  all  their  glory  and  luxuriance.  It  will  be  time 
enough  to  hesitate  and  trim  and  creep  when  life  is  half  over. 
Never  mind  if  men  do  call  him  a  dreamer  of  dreams.  Once 
upon  a  time  ten  men  mocked  a  younger  brother  because  he 
dreamed  great  dreams.  They  envied  him  at  first  and  then 
went  on  to  hate  him.  But  the  dreamer  dreamed  on,  and  the 
time  came  when  they  were  willing  to  bow  at  his  feet  and  ac- 
knowledge him  as  a  brother." 

The  church  is  the  conservatory  of  high  and  true  ideals. 
It  was  established  for  this  very  purpose.  Its  work  is  to  nurture, 
and  stimulate,  and  strengthen,  and  enlarge,  and  extend,  and 
exalt  in  the  minds  of  men  the  ideals  of  its  Founder.    Its  mission 


The  Power  of  a  Great  Ideal 


231 


as  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth  is  to  help  men  to  see 
visions  and  dream  dreams  that  are  possible  to  be  realized  in 
their  own  experience  and  in  the  work  of  the  church.  The 
Bible  has  been  given  it  as  a  revelation  of  ideals  that  are  worthy 
and  true  and  its  work  is  largely  that  of  holding  up  these  ideals. 
They  relate  to  individual  character,  to  the  relations  of  the 
home,  to  business  principles  and  practice,  to  social  relations  and 
responsibilities,  to  civil  and  political  affairs,  and  to  religious 
!  worship  and  service.  The  Bible  has  ideals  for  men  in  all 
their  relations  to  God  and  man.  These  ideals  prescribe  the 
virtues  to  be  nurtured  and  the  vices  to  be  shunned.  It  contains 
ideals  in  regard  to  the  true  conservation  of  life,  the  right  use  of 
talents,  and  the  best  employment  of  time.  It  furnishes  ideals 
in  regard  to  the  use  of  money,  the  relief  of  the  poor,  the  care 
of  the  sick,  and  the  support  of  the  needy.  It  has  ideals  of  fra- 
ternity and  brotherhood  among  its  members;  ideals  in  regard 
to  their  unity  and  cooperation  in  worship  and  work. 

The  ideal  of  Jesus  in  regard  to  unity  among  his  followers 
was  taught  by  the  Apostles  and  practiced  by  the  early  church. 
But  the  vision  of  the  church  in  the  early  days  of  its  existence 
began  to  disappear  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  centuries  was 
almost  gone.  For  many  centuries  this  ideal  has  been  very 
much  obscured.  The  virtues  which  bind  men  together  have 
not  been  very  conspicuous,  but  the  sins  which  separate  have  been 
too  prominent.  But  during  these  later  years  the  vision  seems 
to  be  returning.  Many  are  now  seeing  with  much  clearness 
the  ideal  of  Jesus  and  his  apostles,  and  the  number  seems  to 
be  growing  rapidly.  In  discussing  the  present  outlook,  after 
mentioning  some  obstacles  in  the  way,  the  growth  of  this  ideal 
among  Christians  is  thus  described  by  the  Rev.  Daniel  W. 
Fisher,  D.D.,  LL.D.  ("  The  Unification  of  the  Churches"): 
"  Notwithstanding  these  obstacles,  and  many  others  besides, 
an  advance  has  been  made  that  is  immensely  encouraging;  and 
progress  tends  each  year  to  become  more  rapid  and  hopeful. 


232 


Impelling  Forces 


In  estimating  this,  perhaps  the  chief  place  ought  to  be  given  to 
the  fact  that  the  unification  of  the  Churches  is  now  command- 
ing such  large  and  thoughtful  attention.  It  unquestionably  has 
the  ear  of  the  Christian  public  as  at  no  previous  time  in  the 
modem  history  of  Protestantism.  Great  ecclesiastical  as- 
semblies, denominational  and  also  undenominational,  consider 
and  take  action  concerning  it.  Plans  of  immense  scope  are  laid 
by  which  it  is  hoped  to  forward  the  movement.  Big  contri- 
butions of  money  are  volunteered  to  meet  expected  expenses. 
In  the  public  press  the  subject  is  discussed  frequently,  and  often 
with  fullness  and  ability.  On  many  sides  it  is  recognized  as 
a  living,  burning,  imperative  question  of  tremendous  impor- 
tance. A  hearing  of  this  sort  is  just  what  the  cause  has  hitherto 
lacked  and  has  most  needed." 

The  Men  and  Religion  Congress  in  New  York,  April,  1912, 
was  not  specially  regarded  as  a  movement  toward  union,  and 
yet  it  had  a  strong  effect  in  that  direction.  Its  Commission 
on  Unity  presented  a  copious  and  strong  report  from  which 
we  take  the  following  ("  Men  and  Religion  Messages,"  Vol. 
IV): 

"  A  vast  change  has  come  over  the  mind  and  heart  of 
Christendom  in  reference  to  this  question.  It  is  a  change  of 
the  deepest  significance.  It  has  in  it  the  augury  of  an  ec- 
clesiastical revolution  more  beneficial  than  any  the  Christian 
Church  has  ever  known.  Our  best  and  broadest  men  no 
longer  hold  the  language  of  these  beloved  and  trusted  leaders  of 
thirty-five  years  ago.  These  divisions  in  the  hosts  of  the  army 
of  Christ  are  no  longer  glorified;  they  are  deeply  deplored. 
Our  men  of  light  and  leading  are  giving  utterance  to  opinions 
which  directly  traverse  those  which  we  have  just  quoted.  This 
is  the  tenor  of  the  language  they  hold :  '  We  can  never  be  con- 
tent with  the  existence  of  these  rival  denominations.'  So  far 
from  tolerating  these  divisions  they  affirm  them  to  be  intoler- 


The  Power  of  a  Great  Ideal 


233 


able  to  the  Christian  instinct  of  the  Church;  so  far  from 
holding  them  to  be  evidences  of  a  healthy  and  vigorous  Christian 
life,  they  deplore  them  as  a  fungus  growth ;  so  far  from  re- 
garding them  as  essential  to  progress,  they  see  in  them  one  of 
the  greatest  barriers  to  the  progress  of  Christianity  and  the 
conversion  of  the  world ;  so  far  from  looking  with  complacency 
upon  these  denominational  divisions,  they  feel  that  Christianity 
should  be  ashamed  of  them  before  the  face  of  her  Founder  who 
prayed  that  his  disciples  might  be  one." 

The  Rev.  Peter  Ainslie,  D.D.,  who  is  active  in  promoting 
the  cause  of  organic  unity  and  writes  frequently  for  the  re- 
ligious press  on  this  subject  in  both  America  and  Europe  says 
(Editorial,  The  Christian  Work): 

"  There  are  more  people  than  one  would  ordinarily  think 
who  are  tired  of  these  divisions  and  who  long  for  the  time 
when  there  shall  be  one  flock  as  there  is  one  Shepherd.  Do 
you  ask,  Is  it  possible?  My  answer  is  that  it  is  impossible  to 
be  otherwise.  The  possibility  of  a  united  Christianity  is  a 
biological  necessity.  It  is  the  law  of  life.  Parts  of  the  Church 
may  drop  into  decay,  but  that  living  element,  irrespective  of 
name  or  creed,  that  is  in  vital  communion  with  Christ,  is  grow- 
ing together  as  it  grows  upward  toward  God.  The  possibility 
of  a  united  Christianity  is  becoming  the  common  sense  concep- 
tion of  all  men,  whether  you  find  them  in  the  factory  or  the 
university.  It  is  the  one  conviction  with  the  multitudes  that 
our  differences  are  not  of  sufficient  consequence  to  perpetuate 
our  hurtful  and  costly  divisions.  The  possibility  of  a  united 
Christianity  is  the  purpose  of  God,  for  the  union  of  believers 
is  as  much  a  part  of  the  divine  program  as  the  death  of  Jesus 
on  the  cross  and  his  resurrection  from  the  dead. 

"  We  are  coming  to  the  time  when  we  must  change  the 
basis  of  our  operation  and  seek  for  conformity  to  heavenly 
ideals  rather  than  loyalty  to  sectarian  orthodoxy.    After  the 


234 


Impelling  Forces 


battle  of  Fredericksburg  two  chaplains  were  busy  on  the  field 
until  dark.  One  was  a  Protestant  —  Dr.  Twitchell,  of  Hart- 
ford —  and  the  other,  a  Roman  Catholic  priest.  After  hours' 
working  with  the  wounded  and  the  dead  they  prepared  for 
their  night's  rest,  wrapping  their  blankets  around  them  and 
lying  down  for  the  night's  slumber.  One  called  to  the  other 
to  inquire  if  he  was  comfortable.  '  No,'  he  said,  '  I  am  very 
cold.'  '  Suppose  we  put  our  blankets  together,*  said  the  other. 
It  was  done.  Lying  beside  the  Protestant  chaplain  the  Roman 
Catholic  priest  began  to  shake.  'What  is  the  matter?'  in- 
quired Dr.  Twitchell.  The  Roman  Catholic  priest  said,  '  I 
was  just  thinking  and  could  not  help  laughing  —  you  are  a 
Puritan  parson  and  I  am  a  Jesuit  priest  and  here  we  are  sleeping 
under  the  same  blanket.'  Then  he  became  serious,  and  looking 
up  into  the  face  of  the  starry  sky  he  said,  '  But  I  think  the 
angels  are  pleased  to  see  it.'  " 

Some  years  ago  the  writer  was  interested  in  the  building  of 
a  house  of  worship.  The  architect  had  prescribed  a  certain  plan 
of  concave  floor  for  the  auditorium  which  the  workmen  did  not 
understand.  In  the  earlier  stages  of  the  work  these  workmen 
were  indifferent,  lifeless,  hesitating,  and  doubtful,  and  had  to 
be  told  where  and  how  to  place  every  stick  of  timber,  having 
no  idea  what  to  do  or  how  to  do  it.  When  the  work  was  more 
than  half  done,  one  and  then  another  of  these  workmen  began 
to  get  a  vision  of  the  architect's  plan  and  to  take  hold  of  the 
work  with  new  vigor  and  effectiveness.  This  is  a  parable  of 
what  has  been  transpiring  in  the  work  of  the  church.  The 
leaders  and  the  workers  have  been  proceeding  in  an  ineffective 
and  experimental  way,  because  they  have  not  had  a  clear  concep- 
tion of  the  plan  of  the  Great  Architect  for  his  church.  As  the 
work  goes  on  one  and  then  another  is  getting  a  vision  of  this 
plan  and  this  is  giving  a  new  life  and  a  new  energy  to  his  work. 
His  vision  of  the  Divine  Architect's  plan  is  the  ideal  that  is  im- 


The  Power  of  a  Great  Ideal 


235 


pelling  him  to  pray  and  work  for  a  perfected  unity  in  the 
organized  church.  The  astounding  results  coming  from  the 
power  of  great  and  comprehensive  ideals  in  the  modem  business 
world,  which  have  given  it  its  great  growth  and  prosperity, 
have  been  a  stimulant  to  this  ideal,  and  made  it  more  impelling. 
The  Bishop  of  Michigan  says  (Lecture,  Mount  Morris  Baptist 
Church,  N.  Y.) : 

"  We  are  getting  a  wider  vision  of  the  meaning  and  real  pur- 
pose of  religion  than  we  ever  had  before.  We  are  interpreting 
it  in  the  larger  terms  of  social  justice,  social  righteousness  and 
social  service,  instead  of  the  narrower  terms  of  the  salvation  of 
the  individual  soul  for  another  world.  In  spiritual  fervor  this 
movement  amounts  to  a  great  religious  revival.  In  reach  and 
influence,  in  transforming  power,  it  will  be  seen,  when  we  get 
its  true  perspective,  to  be  as  epoch-making  as  the  age  of  the 
Renaissance  or  the  Reformation." 

When  Cecil  Rhodes  said  that  to  think  in  continents  must 
be  pleasing  to  the  Deity  he  was  stressing  the  value  and  impor- 
tance of  great  ideas  and  ideals,  and  modern  progress  and  de- 
velopment has  helped  many  to  grasp  and  appreciate  such  ample 
and  spacious  ideas.  To  think  in  continents  is  to  have  large 
mental  apprehensions  and  to  form  ideals  that  are  great  and 
comprehensive.  To  think  in  continents  is  to  see  great  pos- 
sibilities in  the  development  of  a  continent's  resources  and  to 
form  conceptions  of  the  ways  and  means  by  which  this  de- 
velopment can  be  secured.  It  is  much  greater  than  to  think  in 
districts,  provinces,  or  states,  much  greater  than  to  think  in 
groups  of  a  few  thousands  or  even  a  few  millions  of  people. 

To-day  many  are  thinking  in  world  ideas  and  ideals.  They 
have  transcended  thinking  in  continents  and  are  encompassing 
the  whole  earth  in  their  conception  of  enterprises  to  be  under- 
taken and  accomplished.  World  ideals  are  very  much  in  evi- 
dence in  the  literature  and  oratory  of  the  present  day.  Much 


236 


Impelling  Forces 


is  being  said  and  written  about  a  League  of  Nations  to  prevent 
war  and  insure  the  peace  of  all  the  earth.  To  think  in  con- 
tinents is  great  thinking,  but  to  think  in  comprehension  of  the 
whole  world  is  still  much  greater  and  no  doubt  God  is  pleased 
with  such  thinking  when  it  relates  to  the  interests  of  His 
church  and  Kingdom. 

The  idea  of  a  universal  church  including  every  race,  tribe, 
and  tongue,  is  very  old,  and  yet  it  has  never  been  very  fully 
apprehended  by  the  masses  of  God's  people  in  any  dispensation. 

The  prophets  and  apostles  were  possessed  of  this  idea,  rather 
imperfectly  no  doubt  in  some  cases,  but  apparently  more  fully 
than  the  body  of  their  successors  in  the  ministry  of  more  modern 
times.  These  later  centuries  the  conception  of  the  church  has 
been  exceedingly  provincial.  Interest  in  its  progress  and  suc- 
cess has  been  confined  very  closely  to  ecclesiastical  boundaries. 
But  a  wider  interest  is  being  developed  in  the  minds  of  many, 
and  a  world-wide  vision  of  its  possibilities  and  power  for  good 
to  all  mankind  has  been  gaining  a  strong  hold  upon  their 
thoughts  and  their  alTections. 

The  ideal  conception  of  the  church  as  inclusive  of  all  hu- 
manity is  truly  a  great  ideal.  It  has  been  claimed  for  it  that 
it  is  the  greatest  of  all  ideals  of  which  the  human  mind  is 
capable.  However  that  may  be,  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  great- 
est. It  is  great  in  its  comprehensiveness.  It  includes  a  mul- 
titude of  peoples,  races,  nations  and  tribes  who  diflFer  greatly 
from  each  other  in  appearance,  modes  of  thought,  habits,  and 
customs  in  daily  living.  To  discover  the  points  of  unity  and 
community  among  all  these  is  thinking  that  is  really  worth 
w'hile.  To  recognize  the  common  and  greatest  good  of  all  hu- 
manity and  to  plan  and  work  that  all  might  realize  this  good  is 
to  employ  mind  and  heart  in  exercises  of  the  noblest  kind. 
The  ideal  of  a  universal  church  cannot  but  stress  the  unity  of 
the  human  race  and  recognize  the  brotherhood  of  man.  It 


The  Power  of  a  Great  Ideal 


237 


not  only  proceeds  from,  but  strengthens,  the  assurance  that 
"  God  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  to  dwell  on  all  the 
face  of  the  earth  "  (Acts  17:  26).  This  ideal  does  not  permit 
any  discrimination  between  the  races  of  men,  but  includes  them 
all  within  the  range  of  its  benefits  and  blessings.  It  is  not 
a  white  man's  institution  any  more  than  it  is  a  black  man's,  or 
a  yellow  man's,  or  a  red  man's,  or  a  brown  man's.  It  is  for 
all  who  love  the  Lord,  whatever  may  be  their  physical  dis- 
tinctions, or  their  racial  and  political  differences.  It  is  an 
ideal  the  center  of  whose  influence  and  power  is  Jesus  Christ, 
the  church's  Head  and  King. 

A  world  ideal  for  the  church  is  honoring  to  Christ.  It  hon- 
ors Him  as  the  Savior  of  all  men  rather  than  as  the  Savior  of 
some  provincial  tribe  or  country.  It  helps  Christian  men  and 
women  in  America  to  realize  that  our  God  is  a  great  deal 
greater  than  an  American  God,  or  the  god  of  any  particular 
group  of  nations  with  which  our  country  may  have  friendly 
relations.  It  glorifies  His  name  as  Lord  of  all.  Such  an  ideal 
has  much  impelling  power  along  the  line  of  Christian  unity. 


THE  SIGH  OF  THE  CITY 


S  the  center  of  life  and  activity  the  moral  and  spiritual 


^-character  of  the  city  is  important  to  its  own  welfare  and 
to  the  welfare  of  the  state  and  the  nation.  If  Christian  mor- 
ality is  the  controlling  power  in  all  its  affairs  it  is  the  city  of 
the  Lord,  but  if  vice  is  the  master  of  the  day  it  is  the  city 
of  destruction.  The  cities  of  the  world  have  been  growing 
very  rapidly  within  the  last  fifty  years,  and  the  rapidity  of 
their  growth  has  been  greatly  increasing  with  every  passing 
decade.  In  the  last  ten  years  the  city  of  New  York  has 
grown  twice  as  fast  in  its  population,  it  is  claimed,  as  it  did  in 
the  two  preceding  decades.  What  is  true  of  New  York  is 
true  of  many  cities,  both  larger  and  smaller,  not  only  in  the 
United  States,  but  throughout  the  civilized  world.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  last  century  there  were  only  six  cities  of 
more  than  eight  thousand  inhabitants  in  the  United  States, 
while  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  there  were  five 
hundred  forty-five  of  them,  and  they  include  some  of  the 
great  cities  of  the  earth.  At  the  beginning  of  the  last  centurj' 
the  population  of  our  cities  was  less  than  four  per  cent  of  the 
population  of  the  whole  country,  while  at  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century  the  population  of  our  cities  had  grown  to  thirty 
three  per  cent  of  our  entire  population,  and  at  the  present 
time  it  is  rapidly  approaching  the  fifty  per  cent  mark.  It  will 
be  only  a  few  years  at  the  farthest  until  more  than  one  half  of 
our  entire  population  will  be  in  cities  and  towns  with  more 
than  2500  inhabitants. 

The  special  cause  of  this  growth  has  been  the  discovery  and 
the  extensive  and  varied  applications  of  steam,  electricity  and 


238 


The  Sigh  of  the  City 


239 


gasoline  as  power  in  the  use  of  machinery.  It  is  scarcely  fifty 
years  since  steam  began  to  be  used  extensively  as  a  power;  it 
is  only  about  thirty  years  since  electricity  began  to  be  so  used; 
and  it  is  only  a  few  years  since  gasoline  began  to  have  exten- 
sive use.  The  use  of  these  agencies  as  power  has  resulted 
in  a  great  variety  of  inventions,  in  the  multiplication  of  many 
factories  requiring  laborers,  and  in  numerous  trades  and  in- 
dustries employing  multitudes  of  people.  The  application  of 
machinery  to  agriculture  has  greatly  reduced  the  number  of 
laborers  necessary  to  provide  food  for  the  people,  as  one  man 
can  do  as  much  now  with  modern  machinery  as  three  or  four 
could  do  in  former  times.  This  fact  has  sent  many  a  laborer 
from  the  country  to  the  city  to  find  employment.  Another 
cause  for  this  growth  of  the  cities  is  the  centralization  of 
transporting  agencies.  Cities  are  very  generally  located  so 
as  to  afford  opportunities  and  facilities  for  transportation  by 
water.  The  railroads  and  trolley  lines  make  it  a  central 
point  to  which  they  can  readily  gather  the  people  who  desire 
its  opportunities  and  advantages  and  bring  the  supplies  of  food 
and  other  provisions  necessary  for  their  existence  and  their 
comfort.  In  addition,  the  social  cravings  of  human  nature 
is  a  cause  of  the  growth  of  our  cities.  Many  people  enjoy 
being  in  a  crowd,  and  cities  have  always  been  as  large  as 
they  could  well  be.  Modern  agencies  and  inventions  have 
made  it  possible  and  advantageous  to  build  large  cities.  Social 
opportunities  and  privileges  of  a  great  variety  of  kind  are 
afforded  by  the  city  and  people  are  sure  to  congregate  where 
these  can  be  obtained. 

This  rapid  and  stupendous  growth  of  cities  has  developed 
some  very  serious  and  important  problems.  The  city  is  an 
aRKrcgation  of  many  kinds  of  people,  a  mixture  of  many  aims 
and  purposes,  a  rendezvous  of  all  classes  and  conditions  of 
mankind.    There  are  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  learned  and 


240 


Impelling  Forces 


the  unlearned,  the  energetic  and  the  slothful,  the  virtuous  and 
the  vicious,  the  good  and  the  bad,  all  in  the  same  bundle  of 
life.  Such  a  conglomeration  cannot  fail  to  produce  many  dif- 
ficult problems.  These  problems  demand  the  right  solution, 
but  the  right  solution  can  be  gotten  only  through  the  help  of 
Divine  revelation.  The  word  of  God  has  been  given  to  help 
men  solve  their  problems  and  the  church  has  been  appointed 
to  be  the  promoter  of  its  means  and  methods  of  solution.  The 
city  needs  the  right  solution  of  its  problems,  it  needs  the  moral 
teaching  and  motive  found  in  the  Scriptures,  it  needs  the  church 
to  hold  up  within  it  and  before  it  the  ideals  of  righteousness 
presented  in  the  word  of  God.  In  its  divided  state  the  church 
has  seriously  failed  in  helping  the  modern  city  find  the  right 
and  the  best  solution  of  its  problems.  The  church  has  seri- 
ously failed  to  cope  successfully  with  the  organized  forces  of 
evil  in  the  city.  Because  of  this  the  average  city  has  become 
the  center  and  hotbed  of  every  kind  of  wickedness,  and  some 
part  of  it  the  open  cesspool  of  indescribable  moral  filth.  It 
was  Shelley  who  said  that  "  hell  was  very  much  like  London." 
It  could  more  appropriately  be  said  of  some  American  cities. 
The  municipal  government  of  our  cities  is  proverbially  bad. 
The  city  is  sick  and  needs  to  be  healed :  it  is  immoral,  it  needs 
to  be  regenerated ;  it  is  formed,  it  needs  to  be  reformed :  it 
is  leprous,  it  needs  its  blood  to  be  purified ;  it  is  ugly,  it  needs 
to  be  beautified :  it  is  "  the  city  of  Destruction,"  it  ought  to 
be  made  "  the  City  of  God."  The  Bible  prescribes  the  plans 
for  the  building  of  the  city  of  God,  but  these  plans  have  never 
yet  been  very  closely  followed.  The  divided  condition  of  the 
church  hinders  the  working  of  His  plans. 

The  church  has  not  only  been  divided,  but  it  has  failed  to 
keep  pace  with  the  growth  of  the  city.  There  are  fewer 
churches  to-day  in  proportion  to  the  population  of  many  large 
cities  than  there  were  a  half  a  century  ago,  as  shown  by  the 


The  Sigh  of  the  City 


241 


late  Dr.  Josiah  Strong  (the  Challenge  of  the  City)  who  thus 
presents  the  facts: 

"  The  city  is  from  one  half  to  one  quarter  as  well  supplied 
with  churches  as  the  whole  country;  and,  moreover,  the  church, 
like  the  home,  grows  relatively  weaker  as  the  city  grows  larger. 
In  1840  there  was  in  Boston  one  Protestant  church  to  every 
1,228  souls;  in  1890,  one  to  every  2,135;  1900,  one  to 
every  2,234.  I"  New  York  in  1840,  there  was  one  Protestant 
church  to  every  1,992  souls;  in  1890,  one  to  every  4,361  ;  and 
in  1900  (in  Manhattan  and  the  Bronx)  one  to  every  4,736. 
Investigations  show  that  our  larger  cities,  generally,  in  1890 
had  only  half  as  many  Protestant  churches  to  the  population 
as  they  had  fifty  years  before." 

The  imperative  need  of  the  city  was  recognized  by  the 
Congress  of  the  Men  and  Religion  Movement,  through  the 
report  of  its  Commission  on  Missions  when  it  speaks  thus  of 
this  need  (Men  and  Religion  Messages,  Vol.  IV,  129)  :  "  Almost 
one-half  the  population  of  the  United  States  live  in  cities. 
The  percentage  increases  year  by  year.  In  lesser  measure  the 
same  thing  is  true  in  Canada.  The  rapid  growth  of  cities,  and 
the  continual  changes  in  the  elements  of  which  they  are  con- 
stituted, make  the  problem  of  extending  the  church  perplexing 
in  the  extreme.  Within  the  last  three  decades  conditions 
have  so  changed  as  to  demand  a  revolution  in  our  whole  con- 
ception of  the  obligations  and  methods  of  the  city  church. 
Nothing  but  strong  leadership,  backed  with  resources  far  be- 
yond the  traditional  standard  of  home  mission  investment,  can 
by  any  possibility  enable  the  church  to  meet  and  master  the 
swift,  potent,  and  complex  development  of  human  society  going 
on  in  the  cities  of  America.'' 

The  need  of  the  city  is  for  a  broader  and  more  varied  service 
than  the  church  has  been  giving  it  in  the  past.  The  pressure 
of  this  need  is  becoming  greater  and  more  intense  every  year. 


242 


Impelling  Forces 


It  is  increased  by  the  changing  conditions  of  modern  life 
brought  about  by  the  general  and  rapid  diiiFusion  of  knowledge 
and  the  great  multitude  of  inventions  which  science  has  pro- 
duced. This  revolution  of  men's  habits  of  living  and  thinking 
has  filled  the  minds  of  some  with  doubts  in  regard  to  the  value, 
importance,  and  perpetuity  of  the  church,  and  has  given  to  oth- 
ers a  new  vision  of  its  mission.  This  new  vision  is  the  social 
vision  which  fills  the  minds  of  those  who  write  on  "  Social 
Service,"  and  those  who  through  some  kind  of  organization 
are  trying  to  render  such  service  to  the  needy  of  the  city. 
This  new  vision  is  filling  the  minds  of  many  in  our  day  who 
are  devoting  themselves  to  social  work  with  great  energy  and 
earnestness.  The  social  question  is  at  the  bottom  a  moral 
question,  and  social  service  is  an  appropriate  outlet  for  the 
moral  and  religious  life.  And  there  are  many  in  these  days 
who  are  finding  the  outlet  of  their  lives  through  this  channel. 
Never  has  there  been  a  time  when  men  have  tried  to  do  so 
much  for  their  fellow-men  in  the  name  and  for  the  sake  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Never  has  there  been  a  time  when  they  recog- 
nized so  clearly  and  fully  that  there  was  so  much  to  be  done. 
Their  splendid  activities  have  been  manifest  sometimes  in 
organizations  within  the  church  and  sometimes  in  organiza- 
tions without  the  church. 

The  spirit  of  these  social  workers  is  the  spirit  of  the  Master, 
who  while  he  was  teaching  also  did  much  to  help  the  needy. 
"  He  went  about  doing  good."  Social  workers  have  seen  and 
appreciated  the  law  of  service  which  he  laid  down  for  his 
followers.  They  recognize  the  announcement  of  this  law  in 
His  declaration,  "  Whosoever  will  be  chief  among  you,  let 
him  be  your  servant,"  and  the  confirmation  of  it  in  the  added 
declaration  that  he  had  come,  "  Not  to  be  ministered  unto, 
but  to  minister  "  (Matt.  20:  27,  28).  They  feel  that  this  serv- 
ice was  imposed  upon  His  followers  when  He  said,  "  The  servant 


The  Sigh  of  the  City 


243 


is  not  greater  than  his  Lord;  neither  he  that  is  sent  greater 
than  he  that  sent  him"  (John  13:16).  They  believe  that 
this  law  of  service  was  intended  for  all  his  followers  until 
the  end  of  time. 

In  close  connection  with  this  law  of  service  they  recognize 
another,  which  is  the  law  of  sacrifice.  This  law  was  an- 
nounced in  the  words,  "  If  any  man  will  come  after  me  let 
him  deny  himself  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me  " 
(Matt.  16:24).  Social  workers  believe  that  this  law  of 
sacrifice,  even  unto  death,  is  laid  upon  all  who  would  follow 
Christ.  With  these  two  laws  they  see  another  which  is 
the  motive  for  the  two  already  mentioned.  It  is  the  law  of 
love.  This  law  was  emphasized  by  him  as  most  essential  and 
important.  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law,  and  is  the  in- 
ward cause  which  leads  to  service  and  to  sacrifice.  Obedience 
to  these  laws  makes  earnest  and  efficient  workers.  Dr.  Henry 
Van  Dyke  has  thus  pointed  out  the  source  of  their  activities 
(The  Gospel  for  an  Age  of  Doubt)  : 

"  Now  this  renewal,  this  splendid  expansion  of  Christian  ac- 
tivities, evident  by  many  signs  to  all  thoughtful  observers,  de- 
pends for  its  power  and  permanence  upon  the  setting  forth  of 
Christ,  vividly,  personally,  practically,  as  the  pattern  of  all 
virtue  and  the  Prince  of  Peace  among  men.  The  sense  of  ab- 
solute confidence  in  Him  as  the  perfect  example  of  goodness, 
and  of  thorough  loyalty  to  Him  as  the  Master  of  noble  life, 
is  the  hidden  reservoir  of  moral  force.  The  organized  charities 
of  Christendom  are  the  distributing  system.  Not  more  instant 
and  more  complete  would  be  the  water-famine  on  Manhattan 
Island  if  the  great  dam  among  the  Croton  hills  were  broken 
and  all  the  lakes  and  streams  dried  up,  than  the  drought  that 
would  fall  upon  the  beneficence  of  the  world  if  there  were  a 
sudden  break  in  the  reservoir  of  love  and  loyalty  in  Christian 
hearts  to  their  moral  Master,  or  a  stoppage  of  the  myriad  and 


244 


Impelling  Forces 


multiform  feeders  which  keep  it  full  by  preaching  Christ." 

A  number  of  organizations  outside  the  church  have  been 
doing  excellent  work  along  the  line  of  social  service  and  there 
are  those  who  think  that  the  church  is  too  antiquated  and 
formal  ever  to  accomplish  much  along  this  line,  and  that  they 
must  seek  opportunity  for  Christian  service  through  outside 
channels.  They  are  willing  to  pay  their  respects  to  the 
church  as  a  time-honored  institution  by  membership  and  at- 
tendance but  devote  their  energy  in  Christ's  work  through 
these  other  agencies. 

This  vision  of  social  service  was  the  source  of  the  insti- 
tutional church,  the  socialized  church,  which  in  many  cities 
has  made  an  effort  to  meet  in  some  measure  the  cit>''s  need. 
This  kind  of  church  provides  such  varied  lines  of  social  service 
as  are  uplifting  and  transforming  to  the  community  in  which 
it  is  located.  It  is  no  longer  an  experiment.  Its  methods  of 
service  have  been  clearly  demonstrated  to  be  effective.  It 
actually  accomplishes  what  it  undertakes  to  accomplish.  It 
reaches  the  masses  and  exerts  over  them  a  great  influence  for 
good.  Its  methods  have  now  been  on  trial  long  enough  to 
fully  prove  their  value.  For  years  these  methods  have  suc- 
cessfully applied  the  gospel  under  the  most  difficult  conditions 
and  with  transforming  power.  What  is  needed  in  the  city  is 
such  an  adoption  and  use  of  these  methods  as  will  reach  every 
block  and  building  of  the  city  in  the  most  helpful  and  uplifting 
way.  The  institutional  or  socialized  church  and  the  religious 
social  settlement  have  shown  the  methods  of  Christian  service 
by  which  the  city  can  be  regenerated  and  redeemed.  But  how 
can  these  methods  be  fully  and  effectively  applied?  On  this 
point  the  Rt.  Rev.  C.  P.  Anderson,  the  Bishop  of  Chicago 
says  (Pamphlet,  The  Manifestation  of  Unity)  : 

"  Visible  unity  is  a  necessity  from  the  viewpoint  of  social 
efficiency.    A  sectarian  Christianity  cannot  mould  the  social 


The  Sigh  of  the  City 


245 


conscience.  It  is  incapable  of  a  catholic  cosmopolitanism.  It 
cannot  act  continentally.  After  all,  sectarianism  is  only  one 
remove  from  individualism,  and  individualism  is  incompatible 
with  organized  Christianity.  If  there  can  be  five  churches, 
there  can  be  five  hundred  or  five  thousand,  or  as  many  churches 
as  there  are  individuals.  Hence  the  premise  which  admits  of 
many  churches  carries  one  on  logically  to  no  church.  Now  this 
is  not  Christianity.  Christianity  is  not  only  a  religion  for 
individuals,  it  is  for  society.  It  is  a  social  religion.  It  is  a 
kingdom,  a  body,  an  organism.  The  world  is  the  subject  of 
redemption.  Society  itself  is  to  be  regenerated.  The  nations 
are  to  bow  before  Christ. 

"  It  is  commonly  supposed  that  the  function  of  the  church 
is  to  convert  individual  men  to  Christ.  Yes,  it  is  that,  but  it 
is  more  than  that.  It  is  commonly  supposed  that  the  function 
of  the  church  is  to  be  the  good  Samaritan  to  those  that  are 
fallen  by  the  wayside.  Of  course  it  is  all  that,  but  it  is  more 
than  that.  Its  function  is  to  clear  the  highways  —  the  indus- 
trial, the  social,  the  political  highways  —  of  thieves  and  robbers, 
and  not  simply  to  be  the  good  Samaritan  to  those  that  have  been 
knocked  down  and  robbed.  Its  function  is  to  bring  about  the 
new  earth  in  which  dwelleth  righteousness,  to  be  the  executive 
agency  of  God's  kingdom  of  righteousness  and  peace  and  joy. 
Men  sometimes  say  that  if  the  church  converts  individuals, 
society  will  take  care  of  itself.  The  individual  must  of  course 
be  converted,  but  that  is  not  enough.  Every  stone  in  the  build- 
ing may  be  perfect,  and  yet  if  they  had  not  been  put  together 
properly,  they  might  have  fallen  down  over  men's  heads.  Indi- 
viduals may  be  good,  and  yet  society  may  be  badly  constructed. 
Society  is  something  more  than  the  aggregate  of  its  individuals. 
The  church  is  infinitely  more  than  the  aggregate  of  its  churches 
or  of  its  individuals.  Life  is  an  organism.  The  church  is  an 
organism.    Therefore  individualism  is  not  the  gospel  for  this 


246 


Impelling  Forces 


world.  The  world  is  organized.  Money  is  organized.  La- 
bor is  organized.  Society  is  organized.  Politics  are  organized. 
Even  the  nations  of  the  world  are  beginning  to  organize  inter- 
nationalism. Everything  is  organized  except  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, and  Christ  prayed  that  that  would  be  organized.  As 
things  stand  now,  it  is  an  unequal  fight  between  an  organized 
world  and  a  disorganized  church.  A  disunited,  disjointed,  in- 
dividualistic Christianity,  where  every  church  and  every  man 
is  an  independent  unit,  cannot  stand  up  against  the  highly 
organized  conditions  of  to-day.  " 

These  words  are  strong  and  true  and  show  forcibly  that 
the  great  need  of  the  whole  country,  but  especially  of  the  city 
because  of  its  concentrated  life,  is  a  united  church.  Many 
who  are  most  loyal  to  the  church  and  are  anxious  that  it 
should  most  perfectly  glorify  the  name  of  its  Head  and  Founder 
are  seeing  this  and  are  praying  and  working  for  its  coming. 
Has  not  the  time  arrived  for  the  inauguration  of  an  aggressive 
campaign  on  a  plan  sufficiently  comprehensive  to  meet  the 
highest  need  of  the  city?  the  nation?  the  world? 

All  our  modem  cities,  larger  and  smaller,  are  very  much  in 
need  of  the  concentrated  energy  and  effort  of  a  united  church. 
As  it  now  is  some  parts  of  the  city  are  likely  to  be  quite  well 
supplied  with  churches,  Christian  workers,  and  equipments, 
while  other  parts  are  sadly  wanting  in  such  moral  agencies. 
The  better  residence  portions  have  large  and  commodious 
houses  of  worship  and  congregations  well  organized  and 
equipped,  while  other  parts  have  few  workers  and  unat- 
tractive meeting  houses  poorly  equipped.  The  distribution 
of  workers  and  of  buildings  and  equipments  for  Christian 
work  is  often  very  defective,  because  each  denomi- 
nation seeks  the  most  favorable  location  for  its  im- 
mediate growth  and  prosperity,  and  makes  the  welfare  of  the 
city  and  the  salvation  of  its  poorer  and  submerged  classes  a 


The  Sigh  of  the  City 


247 


secondary  consideration.  The  business  district  and  the  down- 
town district  generally  are  very  much  wanting  in  workers  and 
in  the  means  and  agencies  necessary  to  carry  on  the  most 
effective  and  successful  Christian  work.  The  best  distribution 
of  working  forces  and  of  the  means  at  their  disposal  is  not 
possible  in  the  present  divided  condition  of  the  church.  It  is 
possible  only  where  unity  of  aim,  purpose,  plan,  and  effort  in- 
cludes the  whole  body  of  workers  and  all  the  resources  at 
their  command.  A  divided  church,  in  its  attention  to  the  par- 
ticular parts  of  which  it  is  composed,  destroys  the  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility for  the  moral  and  religious  training  of  the  city  as 
a  whole.  A  united  church  would  more  readily  and  certainly 
recognize  and  realize  this  responsibility  and  make  appropriate 
provision  to  meet  its  demands.  A  united  church  would  have 
stimulus  and  incentive  to  study  the  need  of  the  city  and 
master  its  difficult  problems,  which  a  divided  church  is  not 
likely  to  have.  It  could  not  shift  responsibility,  nor  share  it, 
but  must  assume  its  whole  burden.  Such  a  sense  of  respon- 
sibility would  in  itself  be  a  great  blessing  to  the  church  and 
would  quicken  and  expand  its  efforts  in  the  accomplishment  of 
its  mission. 

To  make  the  city  a  safe  place  for  the  young  men  and 
women  going  into  it  from  the  rural  districts  the  greatest  pos- 
sible concentration  of  religious  energy  and  effort  is  needed. 
These  young  people  need  protection  from  the  snares,  pitfalls, 
and  mantraps,  which  the  evil  forces  of  the  city  are  ever  ready 
to  employ  for  their  ruin  and  destruction.  They  need  the  coun- 
sel, guidance,  and  help  of  Christian  people  in  safeguarding 
their  character,  conduct,  and  life.  The  wide  open  city  is  full  of 
danger  to  the  unsophisticated  and  the  unwary,  and  many 
boys  and  girls  become  entangled  in  the  meshes  of  evil  and  arc 
ruined  every  year  in  such  a  city.  The  influence  and  power 
of  a  united  church  to  put  "  a  tight  lid  "  on  the  city  are  a  con- 


248 


Impelling  Forces 


stant  necessity  to  make  it  a  place  of  safety  to  its  own  young 
people  as  well  as  to  those  coming  from  elsewhere.  As  en- 
vironment has  much  to  do  in  the  formation  of  habits  of 
thought  and  conduct,  the  church  has  a  great  responsibilitj'  in 
providing  such  environment  for  its  youth  as  will  be  most 
constructive  in  the  development  of  moral  character.  This 
work  is  so  great  that  it  can  be  properly  accomplished  only  by 
the  concentration,  the  united  aim  and  efforts,  of  all  the  moral 
and  religious  power  there  is  in  all  the  churches. 

This  unity  of  energy,  strength,  and  effort  is  needed  to 
purge  and  purify  the  city's  politics.  While  good  men  are  fre- 
quently found  in  office  in  the  city,  it  is  too  often  the  case 
that  those  most  active  in  its  politics  are  the  saloon  keepers, 
the  prize-fighters,  the  gamblers,  thugs,  and  thieves.  When 
such  as  these  are  the  dominating  influence  in  the  civil  affairs 
of  the  city  it  becomes  dangerous  to  moral  character  and  insecure 
in  respect  to  life  and  property.  To  prevent  this  and  to  give 
to  it  good  rulers,  who  are  men  of  strong  moral  character,  re- 
quires the  strength  and  power  of  a  united  church  in  the  develop- 
ment and  preservation  of  that  degree  of  civic  morality  which 
is  commensurate  with  the  city's  highest  welfare.  The  civic 
and  social  conscience  needs  to  be  well  developed.  The  enor- 
mous powers  of  corrupt  organizations  and  centralized  wealth 
often  combine  to  corrupt  the  city's  government  and  weaken  the 
consciences  of  its  citizens.  Predatory  and  vicious  wealth  often 
seeks  channels  and  opportunities  for  self-gratification  through 
the  loose  administration  of  the  city's  management.  The  larger 
the  city  the  greater  becomes  its  need  of  the  church's  moral 
influence  in  securing  and  supporting  officials  whose  moral  char- 
acter is  absolutely  incorruptible,  and  who  accept  office  for  the 
public  good  and  not  for  private  gain.  The  past  failure  of  the 
church  to  cope  with  the  evil  influences  of  the  city  in  its  control 
is  surely  very  suggestive  of  the  need  of  a  more  perfect  unity  in 


The  Sigh  of  the  City  249 

the  church's  organization  and  effort  toward  the  creation  of 
municipal  morality  and  the  purification  of  the  city's  politics. 

Much  greater  influence  and  power  is  needed  from  the  church 
in  the  prevention  and  suppression  of  crime.  The  modern 
American  city  is  the  center  to  which  resort  criminals  of  every 
kind.  It  often  becomes  a  veritable  hotbed  of  lawlessness  and 
immorality.  All  kinds  of  crime  flourish  much  more  abundantly 
in  the  city  than  in  the  country.  Murder,  suicide,  highway  rob- 
bery, and  theft  are  very  common  crimes.  Licentiousness  is  very 
openly  scandalous  and  flagrant.  Lawlessness  of  every  kind  is 
very  prevalent  and  vicious.  It  has  been  estimated  that  there 
is  from  eight  to  nine  times  as  much  crime  in  the  average 
city  as  in  the  open  country.  What  a  challenge  this  is  to  the 
church  as  the  teacher  and  promoter  of  good  morals!  How 
much  it  needs  the  fullness  of  its  power  in  meeting  and  over- 
coming the  forces  of  evil!  Yes,  the  city  surely  needs  the 
greatest  possible  influence  and  power  of  the  church  in  the  pre- 
vention and  suppression  of  its  crime.  It  needs  that  unity  of 
organization,  aim,  and  effort  in  the  church  which  is  surest  of 
success  in  the  creation  of  a  good  citizenship  and  in  the  removal 
of  the  causes  of  crime,  and  as  a  consequence,  the  commission  of 
crime. 

The  city  needs  the  best  power  of  the  church  in  the  removal 
of  its  slums.  These  morally  and  malignantly  ulcerated  and 
vice-festering  parts  of  the  city  are  very  dangerous  to  the 
city's  life  and  welfare,  and  to  the  morality  and  welfare  of  all 
the  rural  districts  surrounding  it.  The  slum  ought  to  be  re- 
moved as  a  cancerous  affection  from  the  city's  body.  The  in- 
strument for  its  removal  is  in  the  message  committed  to  the 
church's  care  and  use.  The  church's  responsibility  for  the 
wielding  of  this  instrument  is  very  great,  and  requires  the  most 
perfect  unity  of  aim,  purpose  and  effort  on  the  part  of  all  the 
church's  agents  in  the  handling  of  this  instrument.    The  mes- 


250 


Impelling  Forces 


sage  in  possession  of  the  church  is  sufficient  for  the  removal  of 
this  great  evil,  but  so  far  the  church  has  largely  failed  in 
securing  its  removal.  In  this  important  work  the  church 
needs  all  the  wisdom,  skill,  and  power  within  its  reach  cen- 
tered in  a  single  directing  power.  Strong  influences,  both  so- 
cial and  economic,  are  ever  ready  to  defend  the  existence  of  the 
slum.  But  there  is  no  adequate  justification  for  its  existence, 
and  the  church  ought  to  attack  it  and  cause  the  city  to  see  that 
it  is  an  unnecessary  evil,  and  that  its  removal  is  a  necessity  for 
the  city's  welfare.  The  church  acting  as  a  unit  could  do  more 
vigorous  and  effective  work  in  the  removal  of  the  social  and 
economic  causes  which  produce  the  slum  than  it  has  been 
doing,  and  at  the  same  time  do  more  intense  and  energetic 
work  toward  the  salvation  of  those  now  composing  its  popula- 
tion. 

The  city  needs  the  help  and  guidance  of  the  church  in  its 
educational  work.  Its  children  and  youth  have  special  need 
of  the  moral  teaching,  the  sanctions  of  good  conduct,  which  the 
church  is  specially  organized  and  commissioned  to  teach. 
These  children  and  youth  need  the  standards  of  morality  which 
are  presented  in  the  Scriptures.  The  separation  of  church  and 
state  in  America,  having  been  used  to  exclude  the  Bible  from 
the  public  schools  and  state  universities,  lays  great  responsibility 
upon  the  church  in  regard  to  moral  and  religious  teaching. 
The  failure  of  mere  secular  education  to  produce  high  stand- 
ards of  morality  among  men  is  much  in  evidence  to-day.  The 
German  people  are  a  highly  educated  people,  but  their  culture 
has  not  saved  them  from  the  lowest  depths  of  cruelty,  vicious- 
ness,  and  moral  depravity,  in  their  conduct  in  the  present  war. 
Education  without  religion  has  been  clearly  demonstrated  to 
be  an  utter  failure  in  the  development  of  true  and  noble 
manhood.  The  training  of  the  city's  schools  needs  the 
stimulation  and  supplementary  efforts  which  must  come  from 


The  Sigh  of  the  City 


251 


the  church  if  the  work  of  education  is  to  be  effective  in  the 
making  of  good  citizens,  and  this  work  of  the  church  demands 
the  most  perfect  unity  and  cooperation  of  the  whole  body  of 
Christian  men  and  women  for  its  effective  and  successful  ac- 
complishment. 

The  city  needs  the  help  and  influence  of  the  united  church 
in  the  assimilation  of  its  alien  populations.  This  work  of  as- 
similation, being  a  very  delicate  and  difficult  one,  on  account  of 
national  and  race  prejudices  and  varieties  of  social  customs  and 
habits,  calls  for  the  united  strength  of  the  whole  body  of  Chris- 
tian people  in  the  city.  The  cementing  of  many  nationalities 
and  races  into  one  body  of  good  citizens  is  a  very  great  work 
and  requires  the  aggregate  wisdom  and  combined  strength 
of  all  the  moral  and  religious  forces  that  are  available.  What- 
ever other  agencies  may  be  useful  in  this  work  of  assimilation, 
the  message  of  the  gospel  is  the  greatest  of  all  producers  of  har- 
mony and  peace  among  humanity's  discordant  elements. 

The  city's  need  of  help  and  stimulation  from  the  church  is 
thus  seen  to  be  very  great.  The  apprehension  of  this  need  is 
filling  the  minds  and  hearts  of  many  Christian  people  of  to-day 
with  a  vision  of  the  church's  opportunity  and  possibilities  for 
greater  usefulness  by  the  happy  combination  of  all  its  forces 
in  one  intrepid  force  for  the  overthrow  of  all  forms  of  evil  and 
to  make  the  city  the  city  of  the  Lord,  instead  of  the  city  of 
destruction.  Such  a  vision  has  much  impelling  power  in  stimu- 
lating the  idea  of  greater  unity  and  in  the  promotion  of  efforts 
for  its  advancement.  The  great  sigh  which  they  hear  prompts 
to  united  action. 


THE  CALL  OF  THE  COUNTRY 


HEN  more  than  six  hundred  delegates  from  thirty  one 


▼  ▼  states  came  together  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  December, 
191 5,  in  a  Country  Church  Conference,  and  President  Wilson 
thought  it  worth  while  to  go  to  Columbus  to  address  that 
conference,  it  proved  that  the  interests  of  the  country  church  is 
a  living  issue  of  recognized  importance.  That  conference  was 
the  result  of  the  general  discussion  which  had  been  going  on  for 
several  years  in  regard  to  the  need  of  rural  communities,  and 
of  some  efforts  that  had  been  in  progress  with  the  view  of  bet- 
tering the  condition  of  these  communities.  Previous  to  this 
time  it  had  been  noticed  that  there  were  hundreds  of  vacant 
churches  in  certain  sections  of  the  country,  and  county  and  town- 
ship surveys  had  been  made  in  a  few  localities  under  the  direc- 
tion of  some  of  the  churches.  In  December,  1914,  a  state  survey 
of  Ohio  had  been  begun  by  the  Rev.  Charles  O.  Gill  under 
the  direction  of  the  Commission  on  Church  and  Country  Life  of 
the  Federal  Council.  This  survey  has  since  been  completed  and 
of  the  1350  townships  in  Ohio  1200  are  classed  as  rural.  The 
great  majority  of  rural  congregations  are  without  resident 
ministers  and  in  more  than  one-fourth  of  these  townships  no 
church  has  a  resident  pastor.  In  the  rural  districts  of  Ohio 
there  is  one  church  to  every  286  persons.  There  is  an  average 
of  five  churches  in  each  township  and  an  average  population 
of  1470  persons.  Mr.  Gill  avers  that  these  churches  compete 
rather  than  cooperate,  and  this  conviction  has  become  wide- 
spread. 

Also  the  Ohio  Rural  Life  Association,  whose  President  is 
Dr.  W.  O.  Thompson  of  the  Ohio  State  University,  has  been 


252 


The  Call  of  the  Country 


253 


giving  much  attention  to  the  needs  of  the  country  church.  In- 
stitutes have  been  held  for  country  ministers  and  the  State 
Sunday  School  Association  has  been  giving  efTective  help.  The 
problems  of  the  country  church  have  frequently  been  intro- 
duced into  the  programs  of  farmers'  institutes. 

Likewise  the  International  Committee  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  the  National  Assemblies  of  the  American 
and  the  Southern  Sociological  Congresses,  and  the  National 
Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction  have  taken  up  the 
consideration  of  the  rural  church  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
it  clear  that  the  interest  of  the  country  church  is  beginning  to  re- 
ceive that  degree  of  attention  of  which  it  is  deserving. 

The  surveys  that  have  been  made  show  very  clearly  that  there 
has  been  a  great  decline  in  the  membership,  attendance  and 
support  of  the  country  church  in  many  sections  of  the  country, 
and  that  for  this  reason  many  churches  have  been  closed.  The 
cause  of  this  decline  is  largely  the  result  of  changed  conditions 
in  country  life.  In  most  rural  communities  there  are  not  nearly 
so  many  inhabitants  as  there  were  a  generation  or  two  ago,  and 
the  same  is  true  of  the  hamlet  and  village.  The  average  family 
is  much  smaller  than  it  was  at  that  time.  The  small  artizan 
has  disappeared  because  his  work  is  now  wrought  in  the  large 
city  factory  whose  products  have  supplanted  the  products  of  his 
skill.  The  introduction  and  use  of  machinery  has  greatly  les- 
sened the  necessary  number  of  farm  hands.  One  man  can  now 
do  as  much  with  modern  machinery  as  required  at  least  three 
men  in  former  times,  and  more  scientific  farming  gets  greater 
results  from  the  same  soil.  Hence  it  takes  fewer  men  corre- 
spondingly to  produce  the  same  quantity,  or  even  a  much  greater 
quantity,  of  agricultural  supplies.  These  changed  conditions 
have  wrought  a  great  decline  in  the  population  of  many  a  rural 
community,  and  the  consequent  decline  of  many  a  rural  church. 
Moreover,  not  a  few  of  the  Christian  people  who  formerly  sup- 


254 


Impelling  Forces 


ported  the  church  have  sold  their  farms,  or  rented  them,  and 
gone  to  the  towns  and  cities  to  live,  while  their  successors  on 
the  farm  are  not  interested  in  religious  things.  In  former  times 
nearly  everybody  in  the  villages  and  open  country  were  regular 
attendants  and  supporters  of  the  church,  but  in  these  later  years 
there  are  many  people  living  in  the  country  as  well  as  in  the  city 
who  neither  go  to  church  nor  give  it  their  support.  Such  facts 
as  these  make  the  problem  of  the  country  church  a  living  and 
a  vital  problem.  It  is  in  need.  What  is  its  greatest  need? 
From  the  nature  of  its  mission  for  what  is  it  calling  most 
loudly? 

The  surveys  that  have  been  made  seem  to  be  suggestive  along 
this  line.  It  has  been  found  that  as  a  rule  all  the  larger  con- 
gregations of  the  smaller  towns,  villages  and  open  country,  are 
growing,  or  at  least  are  holding  their  own,  while  the  smaller 
congregations  have  been  declining,  and  that  the  decline  has  been 
most  rapid  in  the  smallest.  This  is  a  very  instructive  fact  and 
demonstrates  that  the  larger  the  congregation  the  more  effective 
is  its  work  in  proportion  to  its  membership,  and  that  the  doub- 
ling of  a  church's  membership  more  than  doubles  its  power  for 
good  and  its  assurance  of  success.  This  fact  is  another  con- 
firmation of  the  old  proverb  which  teaches  that  where  one  can 
chase  a  thousand  two  can  put  ten  thousand  to  flight.  It  indi- 
cates very  strongly  that  one  need  of  the  rural  communities  in 
many  places  is  larger  congregations  and  not  so  many  of  them. 

Many  of  our  leading  statesmen  have  recognized  the  signif- 
icance of  this  problem  of  the  country  church.  President  Wil- 
son, in  his  address  before  the  Country  Church  Conference  at 
Columbus  showed  his  realization  of  its  importance.  Along 
with  other  fitting  things  he  said: 

"  Christianity  is  not  important  to  us  because  it  is  a  valid 
body  of  conceptions  regarding  man  and  God,  but  it  is  a  vital 


The  Call  of  the  Country 


255 


body  of  conceptions  which  can  be  translated  into  life  for  us  — 
life  in  this  world  and  a  life  still  greater  in  the  next.  And  except 
as  Christianity  changes  and  inspires  life,  it  has  failed  of  its 
mission.  That  is  what  Christ  came  into  the  world  for,  to  save 
our  spirits,  and  you  cannot  have  your  spirit  altered  without 
having  your  life  altered. 

"  When  I  think  of  the  rural  church,  therefore,  I  wonder  how 
far  the  rural  church  is  vitalizing  the  lives  of  the  communities  in 
which  it  exists.  We  had  a  great  deal  to  say  recently,  and  it 
has  been  very  profitably  said,  about  the  school  as  a  social  center, 
by  which  is  meant  the  schoolhouse  as  a  social  center;  about  mak- 
ing the  house  which  in  the  daytime  is  used  for  the  children  a 
place  which  their  parents  may  use  in  the  evenings  and  the  other 
disengaged  times  for  the  meetings  of  the  community,  where  they 
are  privileged  to  come  together  and  talk  about  anything  that  is  of 
community  interest  and  talk  about  it  with  the  utmost  freedom. 
Some  people  have  been  opposed  to  it  because  there  are  some 
things  they  do  not  want  talked  about.  Some  boards  of  educa- 
tion have  been  opposed  to  it  because  they  realized  that  it  might 
not  be  well  for  the  board  of  education  to  be  talked  about.  Talk 
is  a  very  dangerous  thing,  to  the  men  who  are  doing  the  wrong 
thing;  but  I  for  my  part  believe  in  making  the  school  the  social 
center,  the  place  that  the  community  can  use  for  any  kind  of  co- 
ordinating that  it  wants  to  do  in  its  life. 

"  But  I  believe  that  where  the  schoolhouse  is  inadequate,  and 
even  where  it  is  adequate,  that  the  most  vital  social  center  should 
be  the  Church  itself;  and  that,  not  by  way  of  organizing  the 
Church  for  social  service  —  that  is  not  my  topic  to-night;  that 
is  another  topic  —  but  of  making  the  community  realize  that  that 
congregation  and  particularly  that  pastor,  is  interested  in  every- 
thing that  is  important  for  that  community,  and  that  the  mem- 
bers of  that  church  arc  ready  to  cooperate,  and  the  pastor  ready 


256 


Impelling  Forces 


to  lend  his  time  and  energy  to  the  kind  of  organization  which 
is  necessary,  outside  the  church  as  well  as  in,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  community. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  the  country  pastor  has  an  unparalleled 
opportunity  to  be  a  country  leader ;  to  make  everybody  feel  that 
he,  as  the  representative  of  Christ,  believes  himself  related  to 
everything  human,  to  everything  human  that  has  as  its  object 
the  uplift  and  instruction  and  inspiration  of  the  community 
or  the  betterment  of  any  of  its  conditions,  and  that,  if  any  pastor 
will  make  it  felt  throughout  the  community  that  that  is  his  spirit, 
and  that  his  interest,  and  that  he  is  ready  to  draw  his  elders  or 
his  deacons,  or  his  vestrymen  with  him  as  active  agents  in  the 
betterment  of  the  community,  the  Church  will  begin  to  have  a 
dominating  influence  in  the  community  such  as  it  has  lost  for  the 
time  being,  and  we  must  find  it  means  to  regain." 

The  late  Dr.  Henry  Wallace,  founder  and  many  years  editor 
of  The  Wallace  Farmer,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  a  member 
of  the  Country  Life  Commission  appointed  by  President  Roose- 
velt in  presenting  the  report  of  the  Rural  Life  Commission  to 
the  Men  and  Religion  Congress  in  19 12,  among  other  things, 
had  this  to  say: 

"  The  great  superabundance  of  denominations,  and  in  some 
sections  of  the  churches,  renders  the  problem  vastly  more  com- 
plicated and  difficult.  Matters  which  neither  Jesus  nor  His 
disciples  thought  worthy  of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant  ex- 
plicit teaching  —  as  for  example,  forms  of  church  government  — 
divide  the  churches  in  the  country  and  little  towa,  until  of  those 
who  sincerely  desire  to  serve  the  Lord,  there  are  barely  enough 
to  keep  the  church  alive,  to  run  the  machinery,  but  not  enough 
of  either  financial  or  spiritual  power  to  make  any  impression 
on  the  unchurched,  numbering  from  thirty  to  seventy  per  cent  of 
the  total  population.  The  support  of  the  church  under  these 
conditions  involves  often  great  sacrifices,  so  that  the  real  object 


The  Call  of  the  Country 


257 


of  preaching  the  gospel  is  often  overlooked,  namely,  to  make 
Christians,  not  Presbyterians,  or  Methodists,  or  Congregation- 
alists,  or  Baptists.  The  foreign  missionary  must  perforce  drop 
these  impediments  and  devote  himself  to  saving  souls,  and  he 
succeeds.  The  country  and  the  village  pastor,  largely  because 
he  insists  in  lugging  them  along  with  him,  often  fails  in  com- 
parison with  his  brother  in  the  foreign  field.  ("  Men  and  Re- 
ligion Messages,"  Vol.  VI,  126.) 

The  Department  of  Agriculture  at  Washington  and  also 
those  in  the  various  states  have  seen  the  importance  of  this  prob- 
lem and  are  deeply  interested  in  the  progress  of  its  solution. 
Bulletin  278  (January,  1917)  issued  by  the  Agricultural  Exper- 
iment Station  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  contains  an  article 
on  "  The  Farmer's  Church  an  Economic  and  Social  Force," 
and  also  a  digest  of  this  article.  The  digest  includes  the  fol- 
lowing terse  statements: 

"  The  farmer's  church  strengthens  the  habits  of  family  life 
upon  which  successful  farming  depends.  The  pastor,  or  priest, 
is  an  advisor  upon  social  and  economic  matters  of  importance. 

"  Agriculture  is  a  party  to  the  rural  church  problems  for  the 
reason  that  in  the  national  struggle  to  unite  farmers  into  suc- 
cessful producing  and  business  groups  the  rural  parish  is  a 
force  whose  pull  is  felt  by  local  agriculture. 

"  A  system  of  strong  rural  churches  having  capable  pastors 
living  in  the  parish  will  unify  farmers  and  farming. 

"  A  joint  commission  from  the  national  religious  bodies  could 
formulate  the  principles  upon  which  to  reparish  the  rural  dis- 
tricts so  as  to  give  every  farm  family  a  chance  to  belong  to  a 
strong  church. 

"  Training  schools  for  country  pastors,  situated  at  the  State 
Colleges  of  Agriculture,  would  give  pastors  enthusiasm  for 
country  life  and  a  knowledge  of  rural  problems  both  social  and 
economic. 


258 


Impelling  Forces 


"  Some  examples  of  farmers'  churches  in  Wisconsin  show 
how  churches  and  their  religious  leaders  are  cooperating  with  a 
progressive  agriculture  in  rural  social  development." 

The  Bishop  of  Michigan  has  the  oversight  of  many  rural 
Episcopalian  churches  and  has  been  a  student  of  the  problem 
elsewhere.  In  regard  to  the  solution  of  this  problem  he  has 
expressed  himself  as  follows: 

"  There  is  the  problem  of  the  rural  districts  and  small  towns. 
Thousands  of  rural  churches  are  closed,  abandoned  throughout 
the  land.  Whole  regions  are  practically  pagan.  I  know  of 
them  in  my  diocese.  I  don't  know,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  the  percentage  of  attendance  in  the  rural  districts  and  small 
towns  is  smaller  than  in  our  cities,  and  that  is  small  enough. 
And  the  reason  is  not  hard  to  find.  It  strikes  me  in  the  face  as 
I  go  about  my  diocese.  Here,  for  example,  is  one  small  town 
I  have  in  mind.  It  has  about  one  thousand  inhabitants,  I  think. 
One  good,  big,  strong  church  would  meet  all  the  needs  at  least  of 
the  Protestant  population.  There  are  six  churches  there; 
six  jangling  bells  break  the  peace  of  Sabbath  morning  with  their 
discordant  notes;  six  pulpits  pour  out  their  messages,  often  be- 
laboring one  another  with  criticisms  and  sometimes  with  vituper- 
ation ;  six  parsons  strive  along  on  meager  salaries,  irregularly 
paid,  eked  out  by  subsidies  from  diocesan  conference,  or  district 
boards,  together  with  the  proceeds  of  oyster  suppers  given  by  the 
good  sisters ;  six  handfuls  of  faithful  —  I  might  call  them  faith- 
ful and  inveterate  —  saints  gathering  in  their  respective  houses 
of  worship,  and  the  mass  of  the  population  takes  to  the  fields 
and  the  woods  and  the  waters,  if  not  the  saloon.  The  church 
has  no  attractiveness  for  them.  How  can  we  expect  the  church 
to  grow  and  thrive  under  such  conditions!  That  she  survives 
at  all  is  proof  of  her  divine  origin  and  the  special  providence  of 
God  Almighty  over  her." 

President  Faunce,  of  Brown  University,  has  been  much  im- 


The  Call  of  the  Country 


259 


pressed  with  the  ruinous  effects  of  the  division  of  the  church  in 
smaller  towns  and  has  given  expression  to  his  convictions  in 
these  words: 

"  There  is  throughout  Christendom  a  constant  duplication  of 
effort  and  a  steady  waste  of  power  through  ruinous  competition. 
At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of 
Christ  held  in  Philadelphia  one  bishop  reported  a  town  of  less 
than  a  thousand  people  with  thirteen  churches  and  a  strong 
desire  for  another  church.  A  village  of  five  hundred  persons, 
supporting  five  or  six  churches  is  no  uncommon  situation  in  this 
country.  Under  such  conditions  ministers  are  starved,  and 
the  spiritual  life  of  the  community  is  starved  as  well.  In  the 
Western  States  hundreds  of  churches  have  been  planted  which 
have  no  valid  reason  for  their  existence.  They  are  planted  by 
denominational  pride,  and  their  chief  result  was  to  swell  the 
statistics  of  a  missionary  report.  They  have  introduced  divisive 
questions,  destroyed  neighborhood  feeling,  broken  up  homes 
and  caricatured  New  Testament  Christianity.  In  the  name  of 
Christian  faith  we  must  protest  against  such  churches." 

Not  only  have  such  statesmen  in  governmental,  church,  and 
educational  affairs,  as  have  been  quoted,  recognized  the  nature, 
scope,  and  seriousness  of  the  rural  church  problem,  but  for  years 
there  have  been  country  and  village  pastors  who  have  been 
making  special  and  earnest  efforts  at  its  solution.  Those  who 
have  made  these  efforts  have  had  clear  visions  and  strong  convic- 
tions in  regard  to  the  right  method  of  solution.  One  who 
gained  a  good  degree  of  success  in  his  efforts  along  this  line, 
the  Rev.  Harlow  S.  Mills,  tells  in  his  book,  "  The  Making  of  a 
Country  Parish,"  of  the  vision  and  conviction  that  came  to  him 
after  he  had  entered  upon  the  work  of  the  field  in  Michigan  to 
which  he  had  been  called.  The  thought  that  his  church  must 
be  a  community  church  and  make  an  effort  to  serve  all  the 
people  of  its  vicinity  in  all  their  real  interests  became  deeply 


26o 


Impelling  Forces 


impressed  upon  his  mind.  After  several  years  of  effort,  ex- 
perience, and  success,  along  with  some  other  conclusions  he 
presents  the  following: 

"  When  all  the  religious  forces  in  any  community  combine 
and  work  together,  all  the  work  that  needs  to  be  done  in  the 
community  can  be  done,  and  there  will  be  no  lack  of  resources 
to  carry  it  on  with  vigor  and  success.  In  almost  every  com- 
munity there  are  Christians  enough  for  the  work,  if  only  they 
can  be  assembled  and  utilized.  But  when  they  are  scattered 
about,  lying  around  loose  and  uncombined,  or  when  they  are  or- 
ganized in  competing  camps,  they  are  useless  for  any  purpose  of 
aggressive  and  effective  work.  It  isn't  the  poverty  of  the  people 
that  stands  in  the  way,  or  the  small  number  of  professing  Chris- 
tians. It  is  the  lack  of  team  work,  the  lack  of  cooperation,  that 
constitutes  the  weakness  of  the  cause.  No  work  can  be  done  in 
the  country  that  is  at  all  effective  without  this  cooperation  and 
combination.  With  it,  all  the  work  that  needs  to  be  done,  can 
be  done." 

Not  a  few  ministers  and  consecrated  laymen  with  a  deep 
religious  motive  and  a  strong  desire  to  be  helpful  to  their  fellow- 
men  have  been  studying  in  different  sections  of  the  country  the 
condition  and  need  of  the  rural  community  and  the  rural  church 
and  have  gained  a  similar  vision  and  conviction.  Full  per- 
suasion has  come  to  them  that  social  service  is  one  of  the  great 
needs  of  the  country  districts,  as  well  as  of  the  city,  and  that 
it  appropriately  belongs  to  the  work  of  the  church  to  provide 
and  guide  such  service.  They  have  become  thoroughly  con- 
vinced tliat  the  mission  of  the  church  is  to  serve  the  real  in- 
terests of  the  community,  rather  than  to  serve  the  special  in- 
terests of  some  particular  denomination.  The  impression  has 
grown  deep  on  their  minds  that  the  church's  right  to  existence 
in  any  community  and  to  its  support  is  its  ability  and  disposition 
to  serve  the  community  in  an  effective  way.    They  are  fully 


The  Call  of  the  Country 


261 


persuaded  that  the  welfare  of  the  community  is  paramount  to 
that  of  any  particular  church,  and  that  the  church  which  can  best 
serve  its  community  is  the  one  that  deserves  the  support  of  the 
community  which  it  serves.  Their  ears  have  been  opened  to 
hear  the  call  of  the  country  for  the  church  that  can  supply  most 
perfectly  its  need,  a  single  church  in  which  all  the  moral  and 
spiritual  forces  and  resources  of  the  community  are  collected  and 
combined.  They  have  seen  not  only  the  waste  of  spiritual 
power  and  material  resources  in  the  petty  rivalries  and  compe- 
titions of  small  congregations,  but  also  the  failure  of  these 
churches  to  give  moral  strength  and  power  to  their  communities, 
and  their  hearts  are  longing  for  that  unity  which  will  make  the 
church  most  effective  in  the  fulfillment  of  its  mission  in  the 
rural  districts. 


THE  APPEAL  OF  MISSIONS 


THE  movement  toward  Christian  union  receives  no  small 
encouragement  and  impetus  from  mission  fields.  There 
is  a  tendency  and  disposition  among  missionaries  to  get  together 
in  their  work,  whatever  their  denominational  affiliations  may  be. 
They  are  drawn  toward  each  other  by  a  spiritual  power  which 
makes  them  ready  to  cooperate  with  each  other  and  to  combine 
their  work.  They  have  a  common  feeling  of  sympathy  and 
comradeship  toward  each  other  which  makes  them  friendly  and 
fraternal  in  all  their  relations  with  each  other  as  Christian 
workers.  They  frequently  come  together  in  conferences  to  dis- 
cuss in  the  most  amicable  manner  the  serious  and  delicate  prob- 
lems which  arise  in  their  common  work.  At  such  times  they 
frequently  consider  the  desirability  and  practicability  of  union 
between  the  different  denominations  represented  within  some 
given  territory.  A  number  of  the  unions  of  churches  that  have 
been  formed  in  recent  years  have  been  affected  in  mission  fields. 

One  reason  for  all  this  lies  in  the  unity  of  their  faith  in  regard 
to  their  special  work.  They  believe  more  strongly  in  the  unity 
of  the  human  race  and  in  the  power  of  the  gospel  to  save  all 
men  than  the  average  Christian  believes.  They  are  all  fully 
persuaded  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  is  a  universal  religion 
destined  to  encompass  the  whole  earth  and  adapted  to  the  need 
of  men  everywhere.  They  all  insistently  teach  that  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  world  are  one  family,  that  all  men  are  brethren,  and 
that  all  mankind  are  children  of  the  same  Father.  They  are  all 
deeply  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  the  gospel  is  the  power 
of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth,  whatever 
his  nationality,  or  race.  They  all  believe  in  the  religious 
unity  of  the  world  and  are  seeking  to  establish  it. 

263 


The  Appeal  of  Missions 


263 


Another  reason  for  the  spirit  of  unity  in  mission  fields  is  the 
unity  of  their  aim  and  effort.  All  missionaries  of  every  name 
and  denomination  are  impelled  to  leave  home  and  friends  and 
country  by  the  same  motive.  Their  aim  and  effort  is  to  bring 
men  to  God.  They  are  deeply  impressed  with  humanity's  need 
of  salvation  and  become  deeply  anxious  to  be  the  means 
of  bringing  the  message  of  salvation  to  some  non-Christian  part 
of  a  lost  w^orld.  Moreover,  missionaries  are  deeply  impressed 
with  the  magnitude  of  the  work  in  which  they  are  engaged  and 
are  drawn  together  by  the  uniting  power  of  a  great  task.  They 
realize  that  they  are  dealing  with  the  raw  material  which  is  to 
be  shaped  and  moulded  into  Christian  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. Finding  the  inhabitants  of  all  lands  to  be  essentially  the 
same  in  their  nature  and  needs,  these  missionaries  are  all  moved 
by  the  same  great  motives,  in  the  work  in  which  they  are  en- 
gaged, and  which  weighs  down  so  heavily  upon  their  minds  and 
hearts. 

Another  reason  for  this  tendency  toward  union  in  mission 
fields  is  the  spirit  of  sacrificial  service  which  pervades  the  entire 
work.  Missionaries  are  a  highly  devoted  class  of  Christian 
workers.  They  are  people  who  have  surrendered  opportunity 
and  privilege  in  their  home  lands  that  they  might  serve  the 
peoples  and  tribes  which  are  in  greatest  need.  They  have  sur- 
rendered their  lives  in  the  interest  of  a  sacrificial  service  and  have 
gone  forth  to  their  work  urged  by  an  impelling  sense  of  duty 
and  by  a  love  exceedingly  unselfish.  The  spirit  of  their  work  is 
one  of  good-will,  neighborliness,  and  friendship.  Like  the  work 
of  Jesus  their  work  is  a  vicarious  one.  This  is  its  special  char- 
acteristic and  pervades  the  whole  missionary  enterprise.  Mis- 
sions are  the  fullest  and  most  perfect  manifestation  of  the  true 
spirit  of  Christianity,  the  spirit  of  love  and  self-sacrifice.  The 
simple  existence  of  the  missionary  spirit  is  evidence  of  a  vital 
unity  among  those  who  are  animated  by  it.    They  may  be  travel- 


264 


Impelling  Forces 


ling  somewhat  different  roads,  but  their  spirit  is  the  same  and 
has  a  common  source.  As  love  becomes  deeper  and  zeal  more 
ardent  men  are  drawn  more  closelj'  to  each  other  and  the  spirit 
of  brotherhood  is  sure  to  become  more  fully  manifested. 

Another  reason  for  this  tendency  toward  union  in  mission 
fields  is  the  unity  of  their  teaching.  All  missionaries  are  accus- 
tomed to  present  and  urge  only  the  plainest  and  the  simplest 
truths  of  the  gospel.  They  see  the  necessity  of  using  only  "  the 
sincere  milk  of  the  word."  They  realize  that  the  essential 
truths  of  the  gospel  for  the  salvation  of  men  are  those  on  which 
there  is  a  general  agreement  among  all  earnest  and  devoted 
Christians.  They  clearly  see  the  necessity  of  teaching  and  stress- 
ing only  those  broad  and  fundamental  truths  which  are  most 
fully  and  clearly  taught  in  the  Scriptures  and  most  readily  un- 
derstood and  appreciated  by  the  masses  of  men.  There  is  al- 
most a  universal  and  total  abandonment  in  mission  lands  of  the 
teaching  of  distinctive  principles,  and  even  the  retaining  of  dis- 
tinctive names.  Missionaries  have  learned  that  all  such  teach- 
ing is  liable  to  become  injurious  rather  than  helpful  to  their 
work,  that  it  is  much  more  difficult  to  explain  the  dividing 
theories  which  separate  Christians  into  different  churches  than 
to  make  clear  the  essential  truths  of  the  gospel.  The  people 
whom  they  serve  are  unable  to  comprehend  such  subtile  dis- 
tinctions. They  become  puzzled  and  perplexed  over  them,  and 
find  no  meaning  in  them.  They  cannot  see  any  important  and 
vital  distinction  between  the  Thirty-nine  Articles,  the  Augsburg 
Confession,  and  the  Westminster  Confession.  They  can  see 
no  basis  for  separation  between  those  having  these  respective 
creeds.  To  them  these  dif?erences  are  nothing  more  than  theo- 
logical squabbles  which  engender  doubts  in  their  minds  as  to  the 
real  value  of  any  of  Christianity's  claims.  This  fact  is  sug- 
gestively illustrated  by  the  attempt  to  translate  some  denomi- 
national names  into  the  Chinese  language.    In  this  translation 


The  Appeal  of  Missions 


265 


the  Baptist  church  becomes  "The  Big  Wash  Church";  the 
Presbyterian  church  becomes  the  "  Church  with  the  Ruling  Old 
Men";  while  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  becomes  "The 
Church  of  the  Kicking  Overseers."  It  is  no  wonder  that  mis- 
sionaries see  the  necessity  of  abandoning  their  sectarian  names, 
and  seek  to  be  known  as  the  Catholic,  or  Universal  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

Another  cause  of  this  disposition  toward  union  is  the  custom 
of  holding  frequent  conferences  in  regard  to  their  work.  These 
conferences  bring  together  the  representatives  of  the  different 
denominations  at  work  within  some  given  territory,  and  some- 
times a  very  large  territory.  In  these  conferences  they  are 
brought  very  near  to  each  other  and  come  to  realize  the  oneness 
of  their  work,  and  of  their  spirit.  They  are  drawn  toward 
each  other  very  strongly  by  their  common  faith,  purpose  and 
task.  Where  complete  union  has  not  yet  transpired  they  are 
uniting  in  very  important  parts  and  features  of  their  common 
work.  There  is  union  in  tract  work,  in  translating  the  Scrip- 
tures, in  the  use  of  Christian  songs,  the  lessons  of  the  Bible 
school,  and  in  the  publication  of  religious  papers.  There  are 
also  union  schools  of  various  kinds,  boys'  schools  and  girls' 
schools,  normal  schools,  colleges,  and  even  theological  sem- 
inaries. 

These  conferences  among  the  active  mission  workers  of  the 
world,  of  which  the  great  World  Missionary  Conference  at 
Edinburgh  in  1910  has  been  by  far  the  greatest,  have  had  an 
effective  reflex  influence  upon  the  churches  and  their  agencies 
in  the  home  lands.  Foreign  Mission  Boards  have  been  holding 
for  several  years  an  annual  conference  to  which  is  gathered  the 
leading  and  active  directors  and  supporters  of  the  present  mis- 
sionary enterprise  in  foreign  fields.  These  conferences  may  be 
fitly  described  as  "  unity  at  work."  They  are  dominated  by  the 
spirit  of  unity  which  is  always  very  much  in  evidence  though 


266 


Impelling  Forces 


not  fully  and  perfectly  manifested.  This  cannot  be  done  until 
complete  organic  union  between  the  churches  has  come  to  pass. 
But  these  conferences  are  greatly  enlarging  the  sphere  in  which 
unity  is  being  manifested,  and  are  helpful  toward  the  coming  of 
that  day  in  which  unity  shall  be  complete  and  perfect. 

The  results  and  influence  of  modern  missionary  enterprise 
are  well  suited  to  give  a  world-wide  vision  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Christ  and  of  the  church  as  His  chosen  and  appointed  agent  for 
the  outward  manifestation  of  that  Kingdom.  Men  who  have 
large  and  comprehensive  views  soon  lose  sight  of  the  small  and 
insignificant  things  within  their  range  of  vision,  and  become 
restless  and  annoyed  with  anything  that  may  interfere  with 
their  larger  and  more  stimulating  vision.  The  effect  of  this 
world-wide  vision  is  forcibly  presented  by  one  who  has  had  large 
experience  in  missionary  matters  and  is  a  well-known  writer  on 
missionary  topics,  the  Rev.  Arthur  Judson  Brown,  D.D.,  who 
says  (Unity  and  Missions):  "Once  a  Christian  gets  that 
broad  and  far  sight,  the  only  things  in  the  religion  of  Jesus 
which  still  look  big  and  consequential  are  the  elements  of  it 
comprehensive  enough  to  include  those  millions.  Any  little 
wavering  segment  line  can  cut  one  group  or  another  off  from  the 
rest;  but  it  takes  a  circumference  like  the  orbit  of  a  star  to  sweep 
the  whole  host  into  one.  And  the  eye  that  has  traced  that 
mighty  circumference  has  trouble  afterwards  in  seeing  the 
diminutive  dividing  lines.  That  arch  of  the  sky,  under  which 
big  facts  so  naturally  take  command  over  little  ones,  men  never 
appreciate  till  they  look  aloft.  Isaiah  in  his  visions  was  granted 
sight  of  God  spanning  the  sky  with  his  hand,  comprehending  the 
dust  of  the  earth  in  a  measure  and  weighing  the  mountains  in 
scales.  Then  the  prophet  understood  that  '  the  nations  are  as  a 
drop  in  a  bucket,  and  are  accounted  as  the  small  dust  of  the 
balance.'  Even  so,  if  we  Christians  can  have  but  a  little  sight 
of  the  greatness  of  God,  our  theologies,  our  politics,  our  distinc- 


The  Appeal  of  Alissions 


267 


tions  of  name  and  custom  would  be  with  us  also  '  accounted  as 
the  small  dust  of  the  balance.'  " 

Dr.  Robert  E.  Speer  whose  large  experience  in  missionary 
matters  has  especially  fitted  him  to  speak  and  write  along  mis- 
sionary lines  has  given  lucid  expression  to  the  same  thought. 
He  says  {The  Constructive  Quarterly,  September,  1913)  : 

"  And  foreign  missions  provide  the  larger  stage,  the  ampler 
air  in  which  we  can  pass  out  from  the  proximity  of  what  has 
hampered  us,  and  scale  our  estimates  and  measurements  to  the 
true  standard  of  the  full  life  of  humanity.  We  come  to  a  place 
of  vaster  hopes,  of  richer  flexibilities,  of  expanded  life.  We  do 
not  stay  there  on  the  level  of  our  history,  of  our  past  disagree- 
ments, and  seek  by  our  modification,  by  surrender,  or  supple- 
ment to  fit  them  together.  We  simply  rise  to  a  higher  level, 
into  a  unity  which  comprehends  in  its  completeness  our  half-lights 
and  fragments.  Our  theologies  are  to  be  reconciled  at  last,  not 
by  a  restatement  which  will  balance  them  afresh  and  establish 
a  universal  compromise  and  equipoise.  They  are  to  be  recon- 
ciled in  God.  The  living  God,  conceived  and  experienced  as  the 
God  of  all  men,  will  unify  them  and  supplant  them.  And  so 
with  all  our  disagreements  as  Christians.  We  shall  not  need  to 
compose  them.  As  we  move  onward  into  our  true  air  and 
outward  into  our  whole  life  each  man  will  be  the  most  eager  of 
all  to  lay  aside  his  error,  and  in  the  world  knowledge  and 
world  love  we  shall  find  our  lost  unity  in  our  freshly  discovered 
God.  It  is  no  enmity  to  our  past  to  believe  that  it  did  not 
exhaust  God.  There  is  no  disloyalty  to  the  past  in  believing 
that  God  means  the  future  to  be  better  than  it.  Unless  the 
past  has  made  ready  for  a  better  future,  the  past  was  a  bad 
past.  Only  those  things  are  good  that  make  ready  for  better 
things  to  come  after  them,  and  those  men  are  disloyal  to  the 
past,  who  believe  that  all  the  great  things  are  in  a  golden  age 
gone  by.    Very  great  and  glorious  the  past  has  been,  but  the 


268 


Impelling  Forces 


past  will  have  failed  to  teach  its  lesson  to  us,  the  past  will  have 
failed  to  fulfill  its  mission  in  the  will  of  God,  if  it  binds  men 
forever  in  the  chains  of  its  sectional  apprehensions  or  institu- 
tional forms,  if  it  has  not  made  them  ready  for  larger  and 
completer  things  and  led  them  on  to  such  a  unity  as  Christ 
himself,  we  must  believe,  longed  for  while  he  was  here,  and 
waits  for  now  where  he  is  gone." 

The  significance  of  that  appeal  which  the  world  of  missions 
is  making  to  the  churches  of  Christendom  to  become  united  is 
presented  by  Dr.  Frederick  Lynch  of  the  Christian  Work  and 
Evangelist  in  the  following  manner: 

"  We  have  recently  seen  this  same  truth  that  only  a  united 
church  can  successfully  cope  with  great  entrenched  evils,  and  that 
this  united  action  in  social  service  creates  a  more  united  church, 
convincingly  illustrated  by  three  great  recent  movements.  The 
Layman's  Missionary  Movement,  the  World  Conference  on 
Missions  at  Edinburgh,  and  the  Men  and  Religion  Forward 
Movement.  These  three  movements  grew  out  of  great  crises 
confronting  a  Christianity  which  had  come  to  see  that  the  task 
of  the  church  was  not  only  to  rescue  what  souls  it  could  out  of 
the  evil  of  the  world,  but  was  also  to  banish  the  evil  itself  from 
the  world.  Knowing  this  was  the  task,  men  had  come  to  see 
that  no  one  denomination  and  that  not  all  the  denominations 
moving  separately  could  make  any  impression  on  the  sin  and  ig- 
norance of  the  great  non-Christian  world,  that  each  denomina- 
tion was  but  a  little  candle  in  the  darkness  of  the  great  East. 
It  is  this  that  brought  the  denominations  together  in  these  great 
united  missionary  movements.  At  the  same  time  these  mission- 
ary conferences  have  been  a  powerful  force  in  uniting  the 
churches." 

The  report  of  the  Commission  on  Foreign  Missions  at  the 
quadrennial  meeting  of  the  Federal  Council  in  1916  presents 


The  Appeal  of  Missions 


269 


some  phases  of  the  relation  which  missions  bear  to  the  cause  of 
unity  in  these  words : 

"  The  events  of  the  last  two  years  have  made  humanity 
deeply  conscious  of  its  unity.  Nations  have  been  forced  to  give 
up  the  idea  that  they  could  live  isolated  from  the  rest  of  man- 
kind, or  with  their  national  interests  detached  from  the  broad 
movements  of  humanity.  To  the  utmost  comer  of  the  world 
the  influence  of  the  European  war  is  extended.  Mankind 
recognizes  that  it  is  one  body  in  which  each  member  must  suffer 
or  profit  with  every  other  member.  The  common  experiences  of 
all  men  have  been  so  deep  and  piercing  as  to  eclipse  their  isolated 
and  partizan  experiences.  The  unity  of  human  history  and  of 
human  life  has  asserted  itself  against  all  that  separates  it. 
These  unifying  forces  have  collided  with  the  prejudiced  tend- 
encies of  division.  They  have  collided  with  the  enterprise  of 
foreign  missions.  It  has  always  been  a  movement  of  cooperation 
and  unitj'.  It  has  preached  the  doctrine  of  the  one  God  and 
Father  and  the  one  Redeemer  and  Lord  of  men,  and  the  one 
body  and  brotherhood  of  mankind.  It  has  proclaimed  the  duty 
of  international  sympathy  and  good  will.  Even  in  the  midst 
of  the  divisions  and  misunderstandings  of  war  it  has  preserved 
the  Catholic  mind  and  the  Christian  spirit,  and  has  held  up 
before  the  schisms  the  loyalty  of  its  unity.  In  China,  where  the 
Continental  Missions  suffered  great  distress  because  of  the  cut- 
ting off  of  their  supplies,  the  missionary  agencies  of  other  lands 
took  up  the  burden.  In  India  the  American  Lutherans  came 
to  the  aid  of  German  missions,  while  the  entire  mission  body 
of  India  assessed  itself  for  funds  for  the  relief  of  German  mis- 
sionaries who  might  be  in  need.  To  relieve  the  strain  of  mis- 
understanding between  Japan  and  the  United  States,  and  to 
maintain  the  traditional  relationship  of  common  understanding 
and  friendship,  a  substantial  contribution  was  made  in  response 


270 


Impelling  Forces 


to  the  call  of  missionaries  by  the  sending  of  Dr.  Matthews,  the 
President  of  the  Federal  Council,  and  Dr.  Gulick,  as  a  com- 
mission of  good  will  from  the  churches  of  America.  The  Chris- 
tian churches  working  together  in  the  missionary  enterprise  con- 
front to-day  both  the  privilege  and  the  duty  of  unique  service 
to  humanity  which  needs  above  all  else  that  principle  of  service 
and  of  unity  and  of  love,  of  which  the  enterprise  of  foreign  mis- 
sions is  the  purest  expression." 

Very  strong  indeed  is  the  appeal  of  missions  for  greater,  more 
complete  and  more  perfect  unity  in  the  organization,  administra- 
tion and  effort  of  the  church  to  save  a  lost  world.  The  power 
of  this  appeal  to  those  who  have  apprehended  to  any  considerable 
degree  its  meaning  and  significance  becomes  impelling.  It  has 
a  vision  that  awakens  strong  desire  and  induces  effort  toward 
its  fulfillment. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


THAT  modern  education  has  some  very  serious  defects  will 
not  be  doubted.  Too  much  has  been  spoken  and  written 
in  regard  to  them  to  permit  any  one  of  ordinary  inteUigencc  to 
think  its  work  is  one  of  complete  and  thorough  satisfaction. 
The  feeling  that  it  has  failed  to  produce  that  moral  equipment 
of  character  which  is  necessary'  for  good  citizenship  is  strong 
and  wide-spread.  Many  have  become  thoroughly  convinced 
that  Sir  Robert  Pell  was  right  when  he  said  that  "  Secular 
education  is  only  half  an  education,  with  the  most  important 
half  left  out,"  and  are  anxious  to  remedy  the  defect. 

This  defect  is  found  both  in  our  public  schools  and  in  our 
colleges.  The  moral  break-down  of  multitudes  of  young  men 
and  women  who  have  enjoyed  the  opportunities  afforded  them 
in  public  school,  high  school,  and  college,  and  the  want  of  manly, 
virile  moral  vigor  in  many  others,  have  called  attention  to  the 
weakness  of  the  work  that  is  being  done  along  ethical  lines. 
The  dissatisfaction  that  exists  in  regard  to  present  conditions 
has  been  forcibly  expressed  in  many  ways  and  on  many  different 
occasions.  Mr.  Bird  S.  Coler  says:  "  Nothing  but  positive 
religious  instruction  can  protect  the  country ;  schools  are  being 
conducted  on  a  basis  fundamentally  wrong,  and  they  are  re- 
sponsible for  the  spread  of  Socialism."  Dr.  Hall  in  his  book  on 
Adolescence  says:  "  Although  pedagogues  make  vast  claims  for 
the  moralizing  effects  of  schooling,  I  cannot  find  a  single  crim- 
inologist who  is  satisfied  with  the  modern  school."  Mr.  Eugene 
J.  E.  Schreck  takes  the  position  that  religious  education  is  in- 
adequate, that  the  religious  interests  of  civilization  are  entitled 
to  a  portion  of  the  time  and  energy  now  devoted  by  children  to 
education.    A  prominent  religious  journal  says  ( The  Homiletic 

271 


272 


Impelling  Forces 


RevieWj  Jan.  1913)  :  "The  present  condition  of  religious 
education,  with  its  absurdly  limited  time  and  facilities,  cannot 
continue  much  longer.  The  same  is  true  respecting  the  present 
condition  of  public-school  education,  incomplete  as  it  is  in  its 
religious  and  moral  outlook  upon  life,  and  yet  demanding  the 
major  part  of  the  time  and  energy  of  children  available  for 
educational  purposes.  Both  conditions  are  artificial  and  anom- 
alous. The  only  rational  remedy  is  for  the  representatives  of 
the  public,  in  educational  circles,  and  in  religious  circles,  to 
get  together,  and  devise  a  plan  whereby  what  is  called  secular 
education  and  what  is  called  religious  education,  may  be  so 
brought  together  in  the  child's  experience  as  to  give  them  the 
relation  demanded  by  the  laws  of  the  human  mind,  which  recog- 
nize no  such  artificial  division  of  the  educational  process  as  we 
are  ignorantly  trying  to  maintain."  Bishop  Lawrence  says: 
"  If  this  country  is  to  remain  Christian,  the  people  of  the 
country  must  be  shown  how  they  can  support  our  great  and 
noble  school  system,  and  at  the  same  time  bring  up  their  chil- 
dren in  the  principles  of  Christian  faith  and  character." 

The  present  condition  of  irreligion  in  our  public  school  system 
is  the  result  of  a  wrong  interpretation  and  application  of  the 
principle  of  complete  separation  between  church  and  state  as 
provided  for  by  our  national  constitution.  This  principle  is  one 
on  which  the  American  people  are  fully  united,  and  it  is  a 
right  principle,  but  one  which  has  been  wrongly  interpreted  and 
applied  in  relation  to  our  public  schools  and  state  universities. 
This  provision  which  has  been  construed  to  exclude  religion 
from  all  institutions  supported  by  the  state  was  not  so  intended 
by  the  fathers  who  framed  and  adopted  the  constitution. 
Rather  their  aim  was  to  exclude  sectarianism,  and  to  protect  the 
people  against  the  pernicious  effects  of  sectarian  teaching.  Chief 
Justice  Story  who  discusses  its  letter  and  spirit  in  his  commen- 
taries on  the  constitution,  and  who  fully  understood  the  spirit  of 


The  Cause  of  Religious  Education  273 


Its  framers,  says:  "The  attempt  to  level  all  religions,  and 
make  it  a  matter  of  state  policy  to  hold  all  in  utter  indifference, 
would  have  created  universal  disapprobation,  if  not  universal 
indignation."  Daniel  Webster,  who  was  familiar  with  the 
sentiments  that  prevailed  in  the  early  days  of  our  country's 
history,  has  said:  "Our  ancestors  founded  their  government 
on  morality  and  religious  sentiment.  They  were  brought  hither 
by  their  high  veneration  for  the  Christian  religion.  They  jour- 
neyed by  its  light,  and  labored  in  its  hope.  They  sought  to  in- 
corporate it  with  the  elements  of  their  society,  and  to  diffuse  its 
influences  through  all  their  institutions,  civil,  political,  social, 
and  educational."  The  immortal  George  Washington,  who 
presided  over  the  convention  that  drafted  our  national  constitu- 
tion, and  was  the  first  to  apply  its  provisions  to  the  government 
of  our  country,  in  his  Farewell  Address  presents  the  impor- 
tance of  religion  in  national  life  and  education  in  these  words: 
"  Of  all  dispositions  and  habits  which  lead  to  political  prosperity, 
religion  and  morality  are  indispensable  supports.  In  vain  woul3 
that  man  claim  the  tribute  of  patriotism,  who  should  labor  to 
subvert  these  great  pillars  of  happiness,  these  firmest  props  of  the 
duties  of  men  and  citizens.  The  mere  politician,  equally  with 
the  pious  man,  ought  to  respect  and  cherish  them.  A  volume 
could  not  trace  all  their  connections  with  private  and  public 
felicity.  Let  it  simply  be  asked :  Where  is  the  security  for 
property,  for  reputation,  for  life,  if  the  sense  of  religious  obli- 
gation deserts  the  oaths  which  are  the  instruments  of  invcstiga- 
I  tion  in  the  courts  of  justice?  And  let  us  with  caution  indulge 
the  supposition  that  morality  can  be  maintained  without  religion. 
Whatever  may  be  conceded  to  the  influence  of  refined  educa- 
tion on  the  minds  of  peculiar  structure,  reason  and  experience 
both  forbid  us  to  expect  that  national  morality  can  prevail  in 
the  exclusion  of  religious  principle." 

The  necessity  for  religious  training  was  taught  by  the 


274 


Impelling  Forces 


ancients.  Plutarch  declared:  "There  never  was  a  state  of 
atheists.  You  may  travel  over  the  world,  and  you  may  find 
cities  without  walls,  without  king,  without  mint,  without 
theater  or  gymnasium ;  but  you  will  find  nowhere  a  city  without 
a  God,  without  prayer,  without  oracle,  without  sacrifice. 
Sooner  may  a  city  stand  without  foundation  than  a 
state  without  belief  in  the  gods.  This  is  the  bond 
of  all  society,  and  the  pillar  of  all  legislation."  And  this 
necessity  persists.  Humboldt  said:  "What  we  want  in  the 
nation  we  must  put  in  the  school."  The  French  philosopher, 
Victor  Cousin,  was  speaking  of  the  teaching  of  religion  in 
German  schools  when  he  said :  "  Every  wise  man  will  rejoice 
in  this:  for,  with  three-fourths  of  the  population,  morality  can 
be  instilled  only  through  the  medium  of  religion."  Mr.  Harold 
Johnson,  Secretary  of  the  Moral  Education  League,  of  London, 
England,  says:  "In  countries  where  a  more  or  less  secular 
solution  has  been  reached  —  the  United  States  of  America,  a 
number  of  British  colonies,  France,  Japan  —  it  is  becoming  more 
and  more  evident  that  this  solution  is  really  no  solution  at  all, 
and  presents,  at  best,  only  a  stage  preparatory  to  a  solution." 
Professor  Coe  says:  "  So  far  as  religion  has  a  proper  place 
m  human  culture,  organized  religion  must  voluntarily,  at  its 
own  expense,  provide  an  adequate  system  of  religious  education 
for  the  children  of  the  entire  country.  The  problem  is  not 
simply  how  to  bring  a  child  here  and  there  to  religious  maturity. 
It  is  not  merely  how  to  maintain  a  given  religious  society  or 
even  a  whole  denomination  in  health.  The  problem  is  how  to 
produce  a  religious  civilization." 

The  same  dissatisfaction  is  found  with  our  colleges.  The 
editor  of  one  of  our  most  popular  magazines,  Mr.  Edward 
Bok  {The  Ladies'  Home  Journal)  has  received  hundreds  of 
letters  from  college  students,  and  was  completely  overcome 
with  the  slip-shod  English,  the  mediocrity,  and  the  lack  of 


The  Cause  of  Religious  Education  275 


originality  shown  by  these  letters.  A  college  professor  writes 
an  article  for  a  magazine  (Professor  Henry  Seidel  Canby, 
Harper  s,  July,  191 5)  in  which  he  contends  that  American  liter- 
ature is  very  ordinary,  and  that  the  best  literature  wants  ap- 
preciation and  is  not  taught  effectively.  A  young  man,  who 
has  spent  four  years  in  one  of  our  best  colleges,  writes  "  The 
Confessions  of  An  Undergraduate:  Is  College  a  Failure,"  in 
which  he  arraigns  our  colleges  for  their  failure  to  secure 
faithful  and  thorough  work  from  their  students  and  to  inspire 
them  with  lofty  and  worthy  standards  of  thought  and  action. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  there  is  some  justification  for  such  criti- 
cisms. There  is  no  doubt  that  many  colleges  fail  to  impress  the 
importance  of  ethical  motives  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of 
their  students.  There  is  no  doubt  that  religion  has  too  small 
a  place  in  the  curriculum  and  life  of  many  colleges  and  univer- 
sities. Dr.  W.  O.  Thompson,  President  of  Ohio  State  Univer- 
sity, has  said :  "  The  atmosphere  in  which  one  is  educated 
counts  for  much.  I  am  in  no  way  untrue  to  state  institutions 
when  I  say  that  in  our  day  a  boy  might  become  a  bachelor  or 
a  master  in  almost  any  one  of  the  best  of  them  and  be  as  ignorant 
of  the  Bible,  the  moral  and  the  spiritual  truth  which  it  repre- 
sents, and  the  fundamental  principles  of  religion,  their  nature 
and  value  to  society,  as  if  he  had  been  educated  in  a  non- 
Christian  country."  Dr.  W.  A.  Harper,  the  president  of  one 
of  our  colleges,  in  discussing  the  "  Permanent  Elements  of 
Education,"  says:  "And  yet  there  are  institutions  in  this 
Christian  land,  in  this  land  where  the  sentiments  just  expressed 
represent  the  mature  judgment  of  ninety  per  cent  and  more  of 
our  people,  in  this  Christian  land  of  whose  Christian  ideals 
bodying  themselves  forth  in  most  humanitarian  methods  and 
institutions  we  arc  pardonably  proud,  in  this  delightful  Chris- 
tian land  '  Where  the  weak  grow  strong  and  the  strong  grow 
great,'  there  arc  educational  institutions  from  which  young 


276 


Impelling  Forces 


men  and  women,  the  flower  of  our  country,  each  year  emerge 
after  four  years  of  study  and  research  with  no  more  conception 
of  the  true  God  and  of  their  relationship  to  Him  or  of  His  rela- 
tionship to  society  than  if  they  had  been  educated  in  the  jungles 
of  Africa.  But  the  day  of  redemption  is  at  hand.  We  have 
scented  the  enemy  and  he  is  ours.  We  will  never  give  up  the 
battle,  but  will  fight  it  out  along  this  line  if  it  takes  us  our  life 
time.  And  when  we  pass  off  the  arena,  we  will  transmit  the 
feud  to  our  children  and  they  to  theirs,  till  the  virus  of  this 
deadly  heresy  has  been  absolutely  eliminated  from  the  veins  of 
our  national  life.  We  value  education,  but  we  value  Christian 
character  even  more,  and  the  beauty  of  it  is  that  we  can  have 
both  if  we  will,  and  we  will." 

In  an  issue  of  The  Christian  Work  some  time  ago  the  editor- 
in-chief.  Dr.  Frederick  Lynch,  had  this  to  say  in  regard  to  our 
educational  condition :  "  Once  more  we  cannot  help  reverting 
to  our  old  theme  that  the  colleges  are  not  doing  enough  for  the 
religious  life  of  the  students  and  do  not  direct  their  attention 
sufficiently  to  the  creating  of  Christian  Character.  There  are 
exceptions,  and,  of  course,  under  our  present  foolish  laws  our 
State  Universities  cannot  refer  to  the  two  most  fundamental 
departments  of  life  —  religion  and  politics.  But  on  the  other 
hand,  in  many  of  our  colleges,  founded  explicitly  to  teach  the 
Christian  religion,  the  only  reference  ever  made  to  Christianity 
by  the  college  itself  is  in  a  perfunctory  chapel  service.  In  sev- 
eral colleges  there  is  a  considerable  religious  activity  carried 
on  by  the  students,  which  is  good.  But  in  some  colleges  the 
faculty  seem  afraid  of  anything  directly  relating  to  Christianity, 
and  the  Bible  holds  no  such  conspicuous  place  as  the  Greek  or 
Latin  literatures.  To  revert  to  our  own  experience,  during  our 
four  years  in  a  great  college  no  single  member  of  the  faculty 
ever  mentioned  religion  to  us;  all  of  the  3000  men  might  have 
finished  their  course  without  ever  having  opened  the  covers  of 


The  Cause  of  Religious  Education  277 


the  Bible  so  far  as  the  college  was  concerned.  .  .  .  Now,  why 
should  not  our  colleges  put  the  Christian  life  first?  Why  do 
they  neglect  the  one  fundamental  thing  of  life?  Do  they  scorn 
the  church  that  nothing  is  ever  said  of  it?  What  would  happen 
if  one  of  our  colleges  should  suddenly  put  the  Bible  as  the  chief 
text-book  and  should  put  in  courses  for  all  the  students  in  the 
things  Christianity  had  accomplished  through  the  ages  and 
what  it  was  now  doing  in  the  world?  Would  our  students 
desert  that  college,  their  parents  taboo  it?  " 

These  writers  show  very  clearly  that  the  great  defect  in 
modern  education  has  been  moral  and  religious  teaching  and 
training  and  indicate  the  urgency  of  securing  a  larger  place 
for  religion  in  the  education  of  our  children  and  youth.  It  is 
the  function  of  the  church  to  find  the  way  by  which  this  can  be 
done.  As  the  conservator  of  the  Scriptures,  the  pillar  and 
ground  of  the  truth,  the  promoter  of  all  true  and  right  ideals,  it 
has  a  great  duty  to  perform  in  regard  to  education.  It  has  al- 
ways been  the  friend  of  education  and  the  great  inspirer  of  its 
work,  and  it  must  continue  to  be.  A  great  work  is  now  needed 
to  be  wrought  in  the  behalf  of  a  better  system  of  education  and 
the  church  is  called  upon  to  do  that  work.  It  must  create  and 
establish  higher  and  better  ideals  than  have  existed  in  the  past. 
It  must  find  a  large  place  for  religion  in  the  public  school  and 
college.  It  must  cause  men  to  see  the  need  and  importance  of 
the  religious  element  in  education  and  fill  them  with  convictions 
in  regard  to  its  necessity  and  with  desire  for  its  presence  and  its 
power. 

One  great  hindrance  to  the  cause  of  the  higher  Christian 
education  has  been  acute  denominationalism.  Each  denomi- 
nation must  have  its  own  colleges  and  many  of  them  are  very 
poorly  supported.  They  are  built  and  managed  with  reference 
to  denominational  interests  regardless  too  often  of  their  need  in 
the  great  cause  of  education.    In  some  sections  there  are  too 


278 


Impelling  Forces 


many  colleges  for  the  immediate  country  to  support  and  their 
denominations  have  too  many  others  to  give  them  much  help. 
In  its  divided  condition  it  is  very  difficult  for  the  church  to  have 
a  comprehensive  program  on  education.  Some  success  has  been 
attained  through  interdenominational  efforts,  but  they  are  not 
sufficient  for  the  great  work  now  before  the  church.  It  will 
take  a  united  church  to  accomplish  the  task  now  resting  on  it. 
Bishop  C.  P.  Anderson  says  (The  Manifestation  of  Unity) : 
"  Take  the  matter  of  Christian  edxication.  Surely  this  is 
fundamental,  if  anything  is.  Our  divisions  have  made  it  im- 
practicable. They  have  separated  into  two  the  things  that  are 
one,  viz.,  religion  and  education.  Education  has  been  as  com- 
pletely secularized  as  if  man  had  no  soul,  and  the  world  had  no 
God.  Religion  has  been  as  completely  isolated  as  if  character 
had  no  place  in  a  child's  education.  Our  education  is  losing  its 
religious  values.  Our  religion  is  losing  its  educational  values. 
Christian  ideals  and  principles  cannot  be  woven  into  the 
warp  and  woof  of  the  lives  of  our  children  as  a  part  of  their 
schooling  simply  because  of  the  divisions  in  the  church.  To  my 
mind  there  are  three  great  problems  to  be  worked  out  among 
Christian  people  in  the  interest  of  a  permanent  Christianity. 
They  are  Christian  education.  Christian  social  righteousness 
and  Christian  unity.    I  believe  the  first  two  await  the  third." 


THE  DEMANDS  OF  ECONOMY 


ECONOMY  is  the  proper  management  of  all  available 
resources.  It  is  frugality  in  distributions  and  prudence  in 
expenditures.  It  is  carefulness  in  outlay  and  freedom  from 
extravagance  and  waste.  It  is  the  best  use  of  means  to  reach 
a  given  end.  John  Ruskin  says:  "Economy  no  more  means 
the  saving  of  money  than  it  means  spending  money.  It  means 
the  administration  of  a  house ;  its  stewardship ;  spending  or 
saving,  that  is,  whether  money  or  time,  or  anything  else,  to  the 
best  possible  advantage." 

Economy  is  a  basal  need  in  the  home,  in  the  church  and  in  the 
state.  The  neglect  of  economy  is  sure  to  bring  disaster  and 
ruin.  It  is  one  of  the  fundamental  laws  of  God  which  cannot 
be  ignored  without  defeat  and  destruction.  Failure  to  practice 
economy  has  been  the  cause  of  defeat  to  many  a  man  in  his  busi- 
ness ventures.  Want  of  economy  has  been  the  ruin  of  many  a 
social  institution  and  many  a  public  undertaking.  The  want 
of  prudence  in  expenditures  has  soon  wasted  many  a  fortune. 
The  want  of  proper  management  has  been  the  defeat  of  many  a 
public  project  as  well  as  of  many  a  private  enterprise.  Care- 
lessness and  indifference  in  the  use  of  opportunities  and  re- 
sources has  often  brought  weakness  and  finally  defeat.  The 
laws  of  economy  are  insistent  everywhere  and  must  be  heeded, 
or  want  of  vigor,  want  of  efficiency,  and  want  of  power  are 
sure  to  follow. 

The  practice  of  economy  is  the  duty  of  the  church.  It  is 
under  the  same  law  as  the  individual,  the  family,  the  state,  and 
every  other  organization  and  institution.  It  is  affected  in  the 
same  way  in  regard  to  economic  causes  and  effects.  It  cannot 
ignore  these  laws  of  God  without  suffering  the  penalty  of  weak- 

279 


28o 


Impelling  Forces 


ness,  inefficiency,  and  defeat.  It  must  husband  its  resources 
and  wisely  use  its  agencies  for  work  to  be  really  effective  and 
successful  in  its  great  mission.  It  is  the  special  duty  of  the 
church  to  practice  this  law  of  God,  because  it  is  clearly  His  law 
and  its  special  office  is  to  glorify  Him  as  the  great  Author  and 
Supporter  of  all  such  laws,  and  because  this  law  was  always 
obeyed  and  specially  taught  by  the  church's  great  Founder.  He 
was  never  guilty  of  extravagance  or  waste.  He  was  always 
careful  in  His  use  of  time  and  strength  and  means  and  oppor- 
tunities. He  taught  His  disciples  to  be  careful  and  thoughtful. 
When  He  fed  a  multitude  He  required  them  to  gather  up  the 
fragments,  that  nothing  might  be  lost  after  the  people  were 
supplied.  This  economic  deed  was  done  at  a  time  of  organized 
work  under  His  own  special  direction  and  had  special  signif- 
icance in  regard  to  the  work  of  His  disciples  in  their  establish- 
ment of  His  church  in  subsequent  years.  It  was  a  lesson  on 
economy  for  the  guidance  of  His  people  in  their  capacity  as  an 
organized  church  through  all  succeeding  time,  and  is  a  lesson 
of  great  significance  for  the  church  of  to-day. 

The  demands  of  economy  upon  the  church  are  two-fold. 
They  are  those  which  relate  to  its  own  practice  and  example, 
and  those  which  relate  to  its  influence  and  power  in  establishing 
a  better  economic  order  of  society  than  now  exists. 

First,  the  law  of  Economy  demands  that  the  church  shall  not 
be  guilty  of  carelessness,  improvidence,  or  wastefulness  in  the 
distribution  of  its  forces,  the  employment  of  its  agencies,  and  the 
application  of  its  resources.  The  law  of  ecunomy  requires  that 
men,  equipment  and  money  shall  be  so  distributed  and  applied 
as  to  secure  the  best  results  in  the  work  for  which  the  church 
was  specially  established  and  in  which  it  is  engaged.  It  must  be 
confessed  that  the  work  of  the  church  in  its  divided  state  is  far 
from  being  economic.  It  is  not  economy  to  have  a  half  dozen 
men,  more  or  less,  duplicating  each  other's  work  almost  entirely 


The  Demands  of  Economy 


281 


in  one  small  community.  If  they  are  all  needed  in  the  com- 
munity, as  they  may  be,  it  would  be  economic  to  divide  the  work 
on  special  lines  as  is  done  in  education  and  to  a  considerable 
degree  in  law  and  medicine.  It  is  not  economy  to  establish  and 
maintain  a  half  dozen,  more  or  less  poorly  equipped  places  of 
worship  and  centers  of  Christian  work,  when  one  would  be 
sufficient,  and  could  be  fittingly  equipped  for  the  most  efiective 
service.  It  is  not  economy  to  divide  Christian  workers,  into 
several  groups  duplicating  in  many  ways  each  other's  work, 
when  a  division  of  their  work  on  more  ef¥ective  lines  and  accord- 
ing to  better  standards  of  work  is  possible.  Efficiency  experts 
have  shown  that  in  physical  labor  all  unnecessary  movements 
hinder  the  gaining  of  results.  The  most  effective  and  successful 
workers  are  those  who  have  dispensed  with  all  these  unnecessary 
motions.  And  this  is  true  of  groups  as  well  as  individuals. 
There  is  great  economic  advantage  and  power  in  the  proper 
combination  of  men  and  agencies,  as  has  been  fully  demonstrated 
by  efficiency  experts  in  the  sphere  of  manual  labor.  All  this  ap- 
plies to  church  affairs  as  well  as  to  manual  labor  and  the  success 
of  financial  corporations.  It  is  not  hard  to  see  that  there  are 
entirely  too  many  unnecessary  and  exhausting  movements  in 
the  church  for  it  to  be  most  effective  and  successful  in  its  work. 
There  are  too  many  unnecessary  duplications  of  work,  too  many 
cross  purposes,  too  many  conflicting  aims,  for  the  church  to  gain 
the  best  results  from  its  efforts. 

The  significance  of  economy  in  the  rural  districts  can  be  seen 
from  the  picture  of  a  section  in  which  are  located  three  villages 
five  or  six  miles  apart  with  their  adjacent  communities.  Each 
village  has  three  churches  and  the  churches  in  the  three  villages 
take  the  full  time  of  three  ministers.  One  village  has  two 
resident  pastors,  another  one,  the  third  none.  Each  minister 
delivers  his  message  three  times,  once  in  each  village,  to  small 
audiences.    He  spends  much  time  in  a  year  travelling  between 


282 


Impelling  Forces 


the  villages  to  fill  his  appointments.  Three  church  buildings  in 
each  village  are  necessary  to  accommodate  the  church  in  its 
divided  state.  The  church  w^orkers  in  the  three  towns  are 
divided  into  three  groups  whose  efforts  are  greatly  weakened 
by  their  separation.  This  is  a  picture  of  what  practically  existj 
in  a  great  host  of  villages  in  every  section  of  our  country.  How 
much  more  economic  it  would  be  to  have  one  large  and  self- 
supporting  congregation  in  each  village  with  one  commodious, 
well  arranged  and  well  equipped  house  of  worship  rather  than 
three  small  congregations  with  poorly  arranged  and  poorly 
equipped  buildings!  How  much  better  economy  of  ministerial 
power  to  have  a  resident  minister  in  each  village  whose  one  de- 
livery of  his  message  to  a  large  and  stimulating  audience  would 
greatly  add  to  its  value  and  save  his  strength  for  other  service! 
How  much  of  his  time  and  strength  lost  in  travelling  from 
village  to  village  would  be  economized  for  better  uses!  How 
much  better  economy  in  the  use  of  all  the  available  force  of 
church  workers  in  one  body  of  well  organized  helpers  than  in 
three  independent  bodies  poorly  organized!  The  grading  of 
the  Bible  school  and  kindred  lines  of  efficiency  could  be  em- 
ployed more  thoroughly  and  effectively  in  one  school  than  in 
three.  Impressiveness  and  power  would  be  greatly  added  to 
the  song  service  by  the  combination  of  all  the  musical  talent  of 
the  village  and  its  community.  The  social  prestige  and  power 
of  the  one  church  would  be  much  better  and  more  effective  for 
good  than  it  can  ever  be  when  the  church  is  divided.  Waste  in 
all  these  lines  is  the  necessary  and  evil  result  of  the  present 
divided  state  of  the  church. 

In  a  town  large  enough  to  support  two  or  three  ministers  the 
demands  of  economy  require  but  one  congregation  and  one  well 
arranged  and  well  equipped  building  for  all  phases  of  religious 
activity  in  which  all  the  ministers  are  co-pastors  and  all  the 
workers  are  co-laborers  in  the  one  institution.    In  such  a  case 


The  Demands  of  Economy 


283 


it  is  as  practical  and  economic  to  have  managers  of  different  de- 
partments of  the  work  which  has  been  more  fully  organized  as 
it  is  in  a  business  corporation  to  have  managers  of  different  de- 
partments, and  skilled  workers  in  each  department.  Many 
a  minister  would  do  much  better  work  and  be  much  more  suc- 
cessful as  the  leader  in  some  special  department  of  church 
work  than  as  the  general  manager  of  one  or  more  congrega- 
tions. The  duties  of  a  single-handed  minister,  as  preacher, 
pastor,  superintendent  of  religious  education,  business  manager, 
social  expert,  etc.,  etc.,  are  so  broad,  varied,  and  exacting  as  to 
transcend  the  ability  of  the  average  man,  and  can  better  be 
done  by  a  number  of  men  working  in  harmony  and  co-operation 
with  each  other.  The  same  economic  principles  apply  to  larger 
towns  and  cities. 

The  economic  significance  of  the  corporate  unity  of  the  church 
has  been  impressed  by  the  success  of  modern  corporate  business. 
The  union  of  many  people  in  one  great  combination  of  capital 
enables  them  to  gain  results  which  could  not  otherwise  be  gained. 
Their  products  are  more  abundant,  better  and  cheaper.  The 
waste  of  competition  and  the  evils  of  over-production  are 
greatly  reduced.  Waste  products  are  turned  into  by-products 
of  great  value.  A  larger  use  is  given  to  every  good  invention. 
Production  can  be  specialized  according  to  advantages  of  loca- 
tion. A  larger  and  more  stable  form  of  credit  is  secured. 
Foreign  commerce  is  greatly  strengthened  and  enlarged.  The 
advantages  of  a  large  combination  of  men  and  capital  in  any 
given  enterprise  are  now  so  evident  that  such  combinations  arc 
sure  to  remain. 

The  union  of  all  the  churches  would  secure  such  economic 
advantages  as  are  now  incomprehensible.  It  would  dispense 
with  much  of  the  sinful  waste  now  going  on.  It  would  gain 
more  abundant  and  perfect  results  than  are  possible  now.  It 
would  gain  in  the  production  of  by-products  of  great  value. 


284 


Impelling  Forces 


Work  could  be  specialized  according  to  the  need  and  advan- 
tage of  location.  A  wider  use  could  be  given  to  every  helpful 
means  and  agency  in  work.  Greater  varieties  of  talent  could 
be  developed  and  employed.  It  would  greatly  extend  and 
strengthen  the  credit  of  the  church  in  the  world,  and  it  would 
have  more  power  and  means  to  open  up  channels  of  intercourse 
and  service  with  the  peoples  and  nations  that  know  not  God. 

Second,  the  demands  of  economy  upon  the  church  relate  to 
a  new  and  better  social  order  than  now  exists.  It  is  the  task 
of  religion  to  produce  and  provide  the  motives  which  ought 
to  rule  men,  and  which  are  to  rule  men  in  the  more  perfect 
social  order  yet  to  come.  Economy  is  a  moral  and  spiritual 
affair  because  of  its  relation  to  human  desires.  It  is  the  mis- 
sion of  the  church  to  arouse,  stimulate,  and  enlarge  such  desires 
in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  men  as  are  compatible  with  all 
God's  laws,  whether  they  be  regarded  as  economic  or  spiritual. 
Social  and  economic  conditions  are  determined  by  the  moral 
character  of  men's  desires  and  the  efforts  which  these  desires 
awaken  and  produce.  The  struggles  between  capital  and  labor, 
the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  free  and  the  enslaved,  is  the  result 
of  conflicting  desires  whose  moral  quality  is  a  matter  of  vital 
importance.  It  is  the  mission  of  the  church  to  hold  up  the 
truth  in  regard  to  this  moral  quality  and  to  emphasize  its 
importance  among  men.  It  is  assuredly  the  duty  of  the  church 
to  insist  upon  the  necessity  of  unselfish  desires  in  supplying  every 
need  and  in  securing  a  just  share  of  the  common  welfare  to 
every  member  of  the  community.  This  is  the  crux  of  the 
social  problem,  and  as  a  moral  problem  a  great  responsibility 
rests  upon  the  church  in  reference  to  its  solution.  The  fol- 
lowing statements  from  the  report  on  social  service  to  the  Men 
and  Religion  Congress  are  here  pertinent  ("  Men  and  Religion 
Messages,"  Vol.  II,  p.  19)  : 


The  Demands  of  Economy 


285 


"  In  order  to  preserve  the  Christian  civilization  which  our 
fathers  built  by  their  sacrifices  and  in  order  to  carry  it  forward 
to  fuller  perfection,  we  must  work  out  an  order  of  industrj' 
and  commerce  which  shall  be  at  least  an  approximate  expres- 
sion of  the  fact  that  all  men  are  a  great  family  with  one 
Father,  and  which  shall  embody  Christ's  law  of  love  and 
service  in  the  institutions  of  society.  The  great  awakening  of 
the  social  conscience  warns  us  that  men  are  coming  under 
a  sense  of  sin  as  to  our  social  order  and  are  feeling  the  craving 
for  something  juster  and  nobler.  As  Americans  we  are 
humbled  and  shamed  when  we  find  poverty  and  degradation 
establishing  themselves,  in  permanent  form  on  American  soil. 
As  Christians  we  have  a  call  which  brooks  no  refusal.  The 
mind  and  the  heart  of  the  Christian  Church  must  from  now 
on  address  itself  to  the  great  constructive  task  of  creating  a 
Christian  economic  order.  If  the  Church  lacks  boldness  or 
vision  for  this  task,  it  will  find  itself  outstripped  and  outbid  by 
socialism." 

The  work  of  bringing  in  and  establishing  a  new  economic 
order  of  society  "  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness  "  and  "  broth- 
erly kindness,"  will  be  no  brief  and  easy  task.  It  will  require 
a  sustained  and  persevering  effort,  possibly  it  may  pass  on  un- 
finished from  one  generation  to  another,  but  all  the  time  it  will 
be  drawing  nearer  to  that  Christian  ideal  of  a  righteous  nation 
which  seers  have  seen  and  have  foretold.  This  work  is  one 
which  will  require  the  united  wisdom  and  strength  of  all 
Christian  people.  It  is  a  work  whose  vision  is  impelling  many 
to  pray  and  work  for  a  united  Christendom. 

Three  years  ago  the  management  of  a  great  railroad  com- 
pany appealed  to  all  its  employees  to  practice  economy  in  their 
special  lines  of  work  and  claimed  that  by  so  doing  the  com- 
pany could  save  $7,000,000  per  annum.    If  the  church  would 


286 


Impelling  Forces 


practice  a  true  economy  in  every  community  how  many  millions 
could  be  saved  per  annum  that  could  be  devoted  to  more  effective 
w^ork?    Why  should  it  not  be  done? 

An  appeal  for  economy  in  every  possible  way  has  lately  been 
repeatedly  made  to  us  by  our  government  to  help  in  the  winning 
of  the  war.  It  has  been  emphasized  to  us  in  many  ways  that 
success  in  this  great  struggle  depends  in  no  small  measure  upon 
the  practice  of  rigid  economy  upon  the  part  of  all  the  people. 
It  is  earnestly  and  rightly  urged  upon  us  as  a  patriotic  duty. 
The  necessity  of  avoiding  all  waste  for  the  sake  of  international 
justice  has  been  made  clear.  The  importance  not  only  of  pro- 
viding for  our  own  soldiers,  but  also  for  the  pressing  needs  of 
our  allies,  has  been  emphasized  in  our  country's  appeal  for 
faithfulness.  This  demand  is  urged  upon  us  for  sake  of 
righteousness,  liberty  and  democracy.  The  demands  of 
economy  upon  our  government  and  upon  all  the  people  are 
surely  very  great. 

But  these  demands  upon  the  church  are  just  as  great.  Its 
enemy  is  very  great  and  powerful.  No  doubt  the  waste  of  its 
resources  has  very  much  affected  the  success  of  its  struggle 
with  the  forces  of  its  arch  enemy.  No  doubt  obedience  to 
economic  laws  would  be  most  helpful  in  its  war  with  the  Evil 
One.  The  sin  of  wastefulness  in  the  support  of  divided  and 
competing  efforts  is  surely  very  great. 


THE  DEMANDS  OF  DEMOCRACY 


CHRISTIANITY  and  democracy  are  very  close  of  kin. 
In  the  idealism  of  the  hour  some  have  claimed  that  they  are 
identical.  Without  doubt  they  are  mutually  dependent  and 
attractive.  They  are  at  least  complements  to  each  other  in 
securing  the  highest  perfection  of  man's  social  life  and  welfare. 
They  are  both  concerned  about  the  same  things  and  relate  to 
the  promotion  of  these  things.  Together  they  seek  the  highest 
good  of  both  the  individual  and  society.  Together  they  cher- 
ish and  support  the  inalienable  right  of  every  man  to  life,  lib- 
erty and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  They  both  are  seeking  to 
supply  the  best  conditions  in  which  men  live  and  move  and  have 
their  being. 

Christianity  may  be  defined  as  a  spiritual  democracy.  It 
certainly  has  a  democratic  spirit  which  is  to  be  applied  in  the 
realm  of  spiritual  affairs.  Because  of  this  it  has  a  close  rela- 
tion to  political  democracy.  It  is  the  source  of  safety  to  po- 
litical democracy  and  the  hope  of  its  abiding  prosperity  and 
power. 

The  best  definition  of  democracy  is  found  in  the  words  of 
our  immortal  Lincoln  when  he  speaks  of  it  as  "  government  of 
the  people,  for  the  people,  by  the  people."  Lowell,  also,  gave  a 
good  definition  of  its  nature  as  a  political  institution  when  he 
said :  "  Democracy  is  that  form  of  society,  no  matter  what  its 
political  classification,  in  which  every  man  had  a  chance  and 
knew  he  had  it."  It  is  that  form  of  government  in  which  the 
will  of  the  people  as  an  organized  body  is  sought,  gained,  and 
recognized.  It  is  a  form  of  government  that  secures  to  all  the 
people  —  the  common  people  as  well  as  those  more  highly  fa- 

387 


288 


Impelling  Forces 


vored  —  the  right  to  a  voice  on  all  public  questions  and  af- 
fairs. Its  special  doctrines  are  popular  sovereignty  and  the 
equality  of  men. 

The  greatest  movement  of  modern  times  is  the  growth  of 
democracy.  Its  spirit  has  become  a  mighty  force  in  every  land, 
even  where  autocracy  and  aristocracy  are  yet  the  ruling  power. 
In  all  other  lands  its  progress  has  been  very  rapid.  Within  a 
generation  it  has  made  great  forward  strides  in  America  as  well 
as  in  other  democratic  countries.  The  people  have  more  voice 
to-day  on  public  questions  and  affairs  than  they  had  a  gen- 
eration ago.  The  founders  of  our  country  had  their  fears  in 
regard  to  democrac}\  They  doubted  the  wisdom  of  trusting 
it  too  far.  The  electoral  college,  now  a  useless  piece  of  machin- 
ery in  the  election  of  our  President,  yet  remains  as  an  evidence 
of  their  fear.  Our  Senators  at  Washington  are  now  elected 
by  the  direct  vote  of  the  people  of  their  states,  which  w^as  not 
the  case  in  our  earlier  history.  Now  by  the  initiative  and  refer- 
endum many  laws  are  practically  made  by  the  voice  of  the 
people. 

Similar  changes  have  taken  place  in  forms  of  government 
and  public  policy  elsewhere.  Dynasties  have  yielded  to  the 
increasing  demands  of  the  democratic  spirit,  as  in  China  and 
Russia.  Great  revolutions  have  been  brought  about  by  its 
stimulating  power.  It  is  the  harbinger  of  freedom  to  the 
common  people  everywhere.  It  is  the  dominating  influence 
in  the  great  world  revolution  and  struggle  going  on  to-day. 
Our  President  has  frequently  declared  in  regard  to  our  aims  in 
entering  this  mighty  struggle  that  we  are  fighting  for  de- 
mocracy. 

This  onward  movement  of  democracy  will  continue  to  ad- 
vance and  grow.  No  power  on  earth  can  check  its  general 
progress.  Though  enemies  may  mass  themselves  against  it, 
though  for  a  time  they  may  seem  to  inflict  injury  upon  it  and 


The  Demands  of  Democracy 


289 


to  hinder  its  advancement,  nothing  that  they  can  devise  or  do 
can  destroy  it  or  prevent  its  final  triumph.  Lecky  recognized 
the  power  of  this  movement  when  he  wrote  his  comprehensive 
work  on  Democracy  and  Liberty  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago.  He  says:  "  I  do  not  think  that  any  one  who  seriously 
considers  the  force  and  universality  of  the  movement  of  our 
generation  in  the  direction  of  democracy  can  doubt  that  this 
conception  of  government  will  necessarily,  at  least  for  a  con- 
siderable time,  dominate  in  all  civilized  countries,  and  the  real 
question  for  politicians  is  the  form  it  is  likely  to  take,  and  the 
means  by  which  its  characteristic  evils  can  be  best  mitigated." 

The  cause  of  democracy  has  gained  some  very  significant 
triumphs  in  the  field  of  industry.  The  business  and  commercial 
interests  of  the  world  have  taken  on  some  very  important  and 
new  features  within  the  life  of  the  present  generation.  The 
time  has  gone  when  any  man  can  run  a  large  business  just 
to  suit  himself.  Not  only  the  people  in  his  employ,  but  all 
the  people  of  the  community  in  which  his  business  is  located, 
are  coming  more  and  more  to  be  recognized  as  having  special  in- 
terests and  rights  in  his  undertaking.  What  is  true  of  larger 
enterprises  as  regards  the  rights  of  all  the  people  is  seen  also 
to  be  necessarily  true  of  all  smaller  undertakings.  Government 
has  always  claimed  a  prior  right  in  every  man's  possessions  as 
well  as  in  his  life.  Since  democracy  places  sovereignty  in  the 
hands  of  the  people,  the  people  have  a  prior  right  in  every 
man's  possession  and  to  his  vital  power.  Democracy  claims  this 
right  in  the  name,  for  the  sake,  and  by  the  authority  of  all  the 
people.  Besides  this,  modern  social  science  has  been  teaching 
that  there  are  three  interested  parties  in  ever}'  business  under- 
taking, the  general  public,  the  employer,  and  the  employee. 
This  seems  like  righteous  teaching.  Surely  the  public  has  to 
suffer  in  the  sharp  contests  between  the  employer  and  the  em- 
ployee, and  ought  to  have  a  voice  in  the  issue.    Further  progress 


Impelling  Forces 


in  the  democracy  of  industry  will  no  doubt  more  fully  recognize 
and  provide  for  the  interests  and  rights  of  the  general  public 
in  all  business  undertakings.  This  is  a  great  and  growing 
field  in  which  the  prevalence  of  true  democratic  theories  and 
principles  are  sure  to  be  greatly  needed. 

The  cause  of  democracy  has  also  grown  greatly  in  the  church. 
The  people  have  been  asking  for  what  they  are  persuaded 
are  their  rights.  They  have  insisted  more  and  more  that  they 
shall  have  a  fuller  voice  in  the  administration  of  the  church's 
affairs.  They  feel  an  innate  right  to  help  in  the  deciding  of 
its  doctrines,  its  policies,  its  enterprises,  and  its  methods  of 
work.  They  are  insisting  with  increasing  determination  that 
its  important  questions  and  aims  shall  be  submitted  to  a  plebi- 
scite in  which  the  whole  body  of  the  church's  members  shall 
have  an  opportunity  to  express  their  will.  They  think  that 
the  general  principle  of  democracy  in  regard  to  equal  rights 
should  have  its  sway  within  the  church.  And  they  are  right. 
That  great  friend  of  political  democracy,  Abraham  Lincoln, 
saw  plainly  its  relation  to  the  church.  In  talking  about  re- 
ligion he  once  said :  "  I  have  no  sympathy  with  the  kind  of 
doctrine  that  puts  tests  in  such  a  way  that  the  ordinary  man 
cannot  hope  to  attain  them."  On  another  occasion  he  said; 
"  In  this  matter  of  religion  the  opportunity  must  be  for  all, 
or  for  none."  As  a  great  apostle  of  the  general  principles  of 
modern  democracy  he  thus  gave  expression  to  a  profound  truth 
of  the  Christian  religion.  The  opportunity  must  be  alike  for 
every  one. 

The  relation  of  the  church  to  democracy  is  readily  seen  when 
it  is  recognized  that  the  sources  of  democracy  are  spiritual,  and 
at  the  same  time  it  is  remembered  that  it  is  the  special  work 
of  the  church  to  create  and  promote  spiritual  ideals.  De- 
mocracy begins  with  an  ideal  in  regard  to  innate  rights  which 
may  be  civil,  political,  social,  or  religious.    This  ideal  is  very 


The  Demands  of  Democracy 


291 


sure  to  arise  in  human  minds  and  especially  where  men  have  any 
great  degree  of  freedom  to  choose  and  act  for  themselves  and 
for  each  other.  It  has  been  so  through  all  the  ages.  Lord 
Morley  has  said  that  the  origin  of  democracy  is  "  in  the  nature 
of  things."  That  means  that  it  belongs  to  the  fundamental 
characteristics  of  human  nature,  and  has  its  roots  in  the  souls 
of  men.  To  destroy  this  ideal  you  must  destroy  the  nature  of 
the  human  spirit.  Therefore,  the  foundations  of  democracy 
are  deeply  laid  in  the  nature  of  man.  They  are  four-square 
with  the  ground-plan  of  the  universe  and  men  may  as  well 
think  of  changing  the  nature  of  sunlight  as  to  think  of  changing 
those  qualities  in  the  nature  of  man  upon  which  the  ideals  of 
democracy  rest  and  from  which  they  proceed. 

Since  the  source  of  the  democratic  spirit  is  innate  in  the  hu- 
man soul,  a  revelation  from  God,  who  created  the  soul  and 
is  seeking  its  salvation  in  time  and  eternity,  should  be  ex- 
pected to  recognize  this  element  in  human  nature.  And  this  the 
Scriptures  do.  Their  appeal  is  to  all  peoples,  kindreds,  nations, 
and  tongues.  The  chosen  people  were  started  as  a  democratic 
nation.  The  laws  of  Moses  were  for  a  democratic  people. 
The  day  of  jubilee  was  in  the  interests  of  democracy.  Its 
message  was:  "Proclaim  liberty  throughout  all  the  land  unto 
all  the  inhabitants  thereof"  (Lev.  25:  10),  and  antedated  the 
inscription  of  these  words  upon  our  Liberty  Bell  3,500  years. 
The  right  of  choice  by  the  people  was  often  appealed  to  in  the 
days  when  Old  Testament  history  was  in  making.  The  psalm- 
ist's ideal  of  a  religious  assembly  was  where  the  extremes  of 
wealth  and  poverty  have  fellowship  in  worship.  The  prophets 
in  their  day  were  the  great  defenders  of  the  common  people 
against  the  tyranny  of  unjust  privilege  and  power.  Thus  in 
many  ways  democratic  ideals  were  recognized  and  promoted  in 
Old  Testament  times. 

But  this  spirit  was  more  fully  recognized  and  manifested 


292 


Impelling  Forces 


in  the  life  and  work  of  Jesus  Christ  than  it  had  ever  been 
before  His  time.  His  life  was  the  impersonation  of  democratic 
principles,  tastes,  and  activities.  He  fully  identified  Himself 
with  the  masses  of  the  people.  He  was  the  ideal  man  in  the 
broadness,  fulness,  and  completeness  of  His  humanity.  His 
lowly  birth,  His  laborious  youth  and  early  manhood.  His 
whole  hearted  and  fer\'ent  devotion  to  a  ministry  that  knew 
no  distinctions  of  pride  or  caste,  His  complete  and  perfect 
identification  of  Himself  with  our  common  life,  have  power- 
fully impressed  the  imagination  and  the  judgment  of  the  race. 
Lowell  says  that  Jesus  was  the  first  true  gentleman  that  ever 
breathed. 

"  This  is  the  gospel  of  labor  —  ring  it  ye  bells  of  the  kirk. 
The  Lord  of  love  came  down  from  above  to  live  with  the  men 
who  work." 

Not  only  by  His  life,  but  also  in  His  teaching  Jesus  gave 
full  recognition  to  the  democratic  element  in  human  nature. 
In  His  gospel  the  appeal  to  this  element  is  clear  and  forceful. 
He  ever  recognizes  the  right  of  choice  upon  the  most  sacred 
and  important  questions,  and  His  teaching  was  specially  suited 
to  all  classes.  His  invitation  to  come  into  the  Kingdom  of 
God  was  to  every  one.  He  taught  all  men  to  call  on  God 
as  their  common  Father.  He  gave  the  same  laws  and  rules 
of  living  to  all  classes  and  conditions  of  mankind.  His  tests 
of  Christian  character  have  universal  application.  With  Him 
all  souls  are  immortal  and  as  a  consequence  are  of  infinite 
value,  and  because  their  value  is  infinite  their  worth  is  equal. 
They  may  differ  in  capacity,  as  it  is  evident  they  do,  but  not 
in  their  everlasting  worth.  In  the  mind  of  Jesus  cooperation, 
and  not  competition,  is  a  fundamental  law  of  human  life. 
Greater  capacity  at  any  time  or  point  means  greater  respon- 
sibility for  service  so  long  as  this  capacity  exists,  but  not  of 


The  Demands  of  Democracy  293 


greater  worth  where  infinite  values  are  involved.  In  God's 
Kingdom  the  principle  of  mutual  service  rules,  not  that  of 
service  to  the  stronger  by  the  weaker.  Capacity  is  the  measure 
of  obligation  in  service,  and  not  of  worth  in  character. 

The  recognition  of  the  spirit  of  democracy  is  clearly  seen 
in  The  Acts  and  The  Epistles.  Every  picture  of  the  early 
church  given  in  The  Acts  shov/s  its  life  glowing  with  the 
spirit  of  equality  and  brotherhood.  Gibbon  accepted  the  fra- 
ternal life  of  the  church  in  its  early  centuries  as  the  reason 
for  the  rapid  growth  of  Christianity  throughout  the  Roman 
Empire.  While  aristocracy,  autocracy  and  authority  gained 
much  ground  in  the  church  in  the  succession  of  the  centuries, 
there  still  remained  in  the  heart  of  the  church  at  all  times  the 
spirit  of  democracy.  Its  worship  knew  no  distinction  between 
the  noble  and  the  peasant  who  knelt  together  at  the  same 
altar.  Its  forms  of  worship  were  the  common  property  of  all. 
Its  officers  and  teachers  came  from  all  grades  and  ranks  of 
social  and  economic  standing.  The  path  from  the  lowliest 
hut  to  the  highest  position  of  influence  and  power  was  free. 

The  missionary  enterprises  of  the  medieval  church  were 
helpful  to  democracy.  By  these  a  broad  and  solid  foundation 
for  the  general  welfare  of  society  in  many  lands  was  laid. 
Its  monasteries,  whatever  their  defects,  were  the  centers  in 
which  democratic  theories  were  cherished  and  from  which  they 
radiated.  St.  Francis  was  a  noted  example  and  advocate  of 
the  democratic  spirit.  His  followers  showed  how  democratic 
a  revived  Christianity  becomes,  how  it  lifts  up  the  common 
people,  how  it  enliglitcns  the  dark  places  of  human  life.  The 
spiritual  ideals  nurtured,  supported  and  carried  forward  by  the 
church  through  many  centuries  were  the  seeds  of  civil  and  re- 
ligious liberty  in  more  modern  times. 

The  Reformation  broke  many  of  the  bonds  which  autocracy 
had  fastened  on  church  and  state.    The  people  then  made  rapid 


294 


Impelling  Forces 


gain  in  the  fuller  acquisition  of  their  right  to  a  voice  in  both 
political  and  religious  affairs.  The  open  Bible  became  the  text- 
book of  democracy  and  the  people  learned  that  the  divine  right 
of  Kings  is  only  a  fiction  of  human  pride  and  selfishness.  The 
authority  of  conscience  as  the  sole  arbiter  of  right  and  wrong 
was  seen  to  be  the  spiritual  birthright  of  every  man  and  woman, 
and  for  this  the  reformers  earnestly  contended.  Wicliflfe,  Huss, 
Luther,  Calvin,  and  John  Knox  aroused  democratic  ideas  which 
have  gone  on  evolving  and  becoming  stronger  and  broader 
with  the  passing  years.  Their  work  lies  back  of  all  the  pro- 
gressive forces  of  the  modern  world. 

The  recognition  of  democratic  ideas  and  principles  has  been 
manifest  in  the  great  movements  of  the  church  in  still  more 
modem  times.  The  freedom  of  America  is  the  specific  result 
of  the  great  awakening  under  Jonathan  Edwards  and  his  fol- 
lowers. It  was  the  finding  of  the  common  man,  the  awakening 
of  the  better  elements  of  his  moral  nature  through  religion, 
the  stimulation  of  his  moral  capacity  to  feel  and  dare  and  sac- 
rifice, that  asserted  and  won  the  independence  of  the  American 
colonies.  The  Wesleyan  revival  did  a  similar  work  for  Eng- 
land. The  class  meetings  of  Wesley's  followers,  in  their  social 
influence  and  discipline,  were  a  most  excellent  training  school 
for  the  political  as  well  as  the  religious  life  of  the  people  who 
work,  and  have  given  special  power  to  the  English  labor  move- 
ment, and  done  much  to  forward  the  general  movement  of  de- 
mocracy to  a  higher  degree  of  influence  and  power  in  both 
church  and  state.  Modern  missions  are  a  manifestation  of  the 
democratic  impulse  of  Christianity.  The  gospel  is  carried  to 
all  classes,  ranks  and  conditions  of  mankind  and  urged  upon 
them  as  universal  in  its  range  of  application  and  power  of  sal- 
vation. 

It  is  not  claimed  that  the  church  is  the  only  agency  which 
has  produced  the  present  growth  of  democratic  spirit  and  ideals. 


The  Demands  of  Democracy  295 


Science  has  done  much  for  this  cause.  Its  spirit  of  free  and 
fearless  inquiry,  its  great  devotion  to  the  truth  wherever  found, 
and  its  readiness  and  purpose  to  follow  wherever  truth  may 
lead,  are  ver}'  closely  allied  with  democratic  ideals.  But  this 
faith  in  the  truth,  and  this  faith  in  the  power  of  the  human 
mind  to  find  the  truth,  is  a  special  product  of  Christianity.  It 
is  Christianity  more  than  science  therefore  that  has  given  to 
popular  movements  their  best  ideals,  made  them  reverent  to- 
ward things  that  are  sacred,  and  kept  the  people  from  a  de- 
mocracy that  has  no  soul  and  the  church  from  a  deadness  and 
cxclusiveness  that  has  no  hope. 

In  view  of  all  this,  democracy  has  its  demands  upon  the 
church.  It  calls  upon  the  church  to  manifest  and  illustrate  in 
its  own  life  the  democratic  ideals  which  it  nurtures  and  pro- 
motes. Its  appeal  is  for  a  single  church  in  each  community  in 
which  the  will  of  all  the  Christian  people  in  it  can  be  fittingly 
expressed.  It  is  only  in  a  single  church  that  any  full  and  clear 
expression  of  the  will  of  the  whole  body  of  Christian  people 
in  the  community  can  be  obtained.  Their  right  to  such  an 
expression  is  the  great  principle  for  which  democracy  stands. 
This  fact  makes  it  evident  that  the  divisions  of  the  church  are 
undemocratic.  Each  one  of  them  can  give  an  expression  of 
the  will  of  only  a  part  of  the  community.  They  may  be 
democratic  in  their  respective  groups,  but  are  undemocratic  in 
relation  to  the  larger  group  of  the  whole  body  of  Christians  at 
hand.  Besides,  these  divisions  partake  of  the  nature  of  class 
distinctions  and  are  liable  to  be  the  promoters  of  the  spirit  of 
caste.  It  is  often  a  weakness  of  human  nature  to  think  that 
our  peculiarities  are  a  mark  of  our  superiority.  The  members 
of  one  church  are  tempted  to  think  that  they  are  a  little  better 
than  the  people  of  other  churches,  and  sometimes  yield  to  this 
temptation.  This  kind  of  conceit  is  often  shown  by  boastings 
and  self-laudations.    The  church  is  wont  to  condemn  caste 


296 


Impelling  Forces 


among  the  heathen,  and  at  the  same  time  maintains  a  condition 
within  itself  which  is  promotive  of  this  spirit.  But  the  spirit 
of  caste,  wherever  and  however  it  exists,  is  both  undemocratic 
and  unchristian.  Moreover,  the  existence  of  these  divisions 
is  an  open  contradiction  to  the  church's  claim  to  be  a  democratic 
institution.  They  are  a  standing  sign  that  democracy  within 
the  church  has  very  serious  limitations.  They  are  a  hindrance 
to  the  fullest  and  the  best  democratic  spirit  and  ideals. 

Another  demand  of  democracy  upon  the  church  is  that  the 
church  shall  provide  for  it  the  means  of  safety.  The  genus 
democracy  has  many  species,  and  the  species  have  radical  dif- 
ferences. The  world  has  seen  these  various  kinds  and  had  its 
doubts  because  its  eyes  were  on  the  kind  that  is  not  good. 
Democracy  that  is  not  filled  with  Christian  ideals,  and  es- 
pecially those  of  mutual  service  and  cooperation,  is  bound  to  be 
a  failure.  Lecky  has  clearly  and  forcibly  shown  that  democ- 
racy in  itself  is  neither  a  preventative  nor  a  cure  for  the 
spirit  of  oppression,  violence,  and  fraud,  and  that  it  has  no 
tendency  in  itself  to  secure  good  order  and  greater  liberty. 
He  says:  "  A  despotism  resting  on  a  plebiscite  is  quite  as  natural 
a  form  of  democracy  as  a  republic,  and  some  of  the  strongest 
democratic  tendencies  are  distinctly  adverse  to  liberty."  The 
reactions  of  democracy,  when  the  species  was  not  good,  have 
often  been  very  antagonistic  to  the  general  welfare  of  society. 
Popular  movements  have  sometimes  been  as  cruel  and  de- 
structive to  individual  rights  and  welfare  a"?  imperialism  and 
autocracy  could  possibly  be.  The  madness  of  the  mob  is  often 
more  vicious  than  the  autocrat's  severest  measures. 

One  danger  is  that  democratic  forms  may  be  employed  by 
schemers  for  the  mercenary  and  selfish  ends  of  some  crafty 
individual,  or  some  particular  group  of  individuals.  In  his 
discussion  of  democracy  Lord  Morley  asks:  "  Do  you  mean  a 
doctrine  or  a  force,  a  constitutional  parchment  or  a  glorious 


The  Demands  of  Democracy 


297 


evangel ;  perfected  machinery  for  the  wirepuller,  the  party  tac- 
tician, the  spoilsman,  and  the  boss,  or  the  stern  and  high  ideals 
of  a  Mazzini  or  a  Tolstoy?  "  The  exploitation  of  democratic 
forms  for  selfish  ends  is  an  ever  present  danger,  and  an  evil 
that  has  manifested  itself  again  and  again  in  the  growth  of 
democracy.  It  has  been  seen  in  the  spoils  system.  It  has 
been  a  stigma  upon  many  a  large  city,  and  even  upon  our 
congress  when  large  interests  were  seeking  special  grants  of 
privilege,  or  the  pork  barrel  was  up  for  distribution. 

The  result  of  democracy  is  harmful  to  the  general  welfare 
whenever  its  ideals  are  defective  and  incomplete.  The  French 
Revolution  established  the  democratic  principle  of  equality,  but 
failed  to  establish  the  equally  important  principles  of  mutual 
service  and  co-operation.  It  overlooked  the  fact  that  to  every 
right  there  is  attached  a  special  duty.  In  stopping  with  equality 
it  left  an  open  field  for  the  strong  man,  and  presently  the  strong 
man  was  in  the  saddle  in  the  person  of  Napoleon,  and  the 
episode  was  harmful  though  not  fatal  to  the  cause  of  democ- 
racy. To  guard  against  such  episodes  a  Christian  morale  is 
needed,  and  the  church  is  the  proper  agent  to  furnish  this 
morale. 

This  constant  menace  comes  from  the  duality  of  human  na- 
ture. All  men  are  democrats  and  want  equality  of  rights  when 
their  personal  interests  are  involved,  but  are  often  ready  to 
become  imperialists  and  autocrats  when  special  privilege  and 
advantage  are  seen  and  may  be  realized.  There  is  a  two-fold 
strain  in  every  human  being,  the  social  and  the  selfish.  De- 
mocracy is  the  product  of  the  social  strain.  Imperialism,  au- 
tocracy, aristocracy  and  jingoism  come  from  the  selfish  strain. 
The  most  important  battleground  for  true  democracy  is  in 
the  hearts  of  men.  After  the  visible  enemies  of  democracy 
have  been  defeated  on  land  and  sea,  it  will  have  to  go  on 
fighting  for  its  life  in  the  hearts  of  men  for  many  a  long  day. 


298 


Impelling  Forces 


This  struggle  is  sure  to  continue  till  the  day  when  by  God's 
grace  the  Christian's  mastery  of  the  cruel  and  vicious  propen- 
sities of  human  nature  shall  have  been  gained.  Democracy  has 
special  need  that  the  church  should  recognize  this  battleground 
and  array  its  forces  for  the  struggle.  Men  need  instruction  in 
regard  to  the  opposing  forces  in  their  own  hearts,  and  the 
moral  victory  that  must  be  gained  to  make  men  truly  demo- 
cratic. The  church  must  solve  the  problem  of  making  the 
world  safe  for  democracy  by  making  it  safe  in  the  heart  of 
every  Christian  man.  The  political  triumph  of  democracy  can 
be  made  permanently  secure  only  by  pressing  on  to  the  goal 
of  its  moral  victory  in  human  hearts.  Democracy  entreats  the 
church  to  do  its  proper  work,  and  to  do  it  well  in  the  promotion 
and  propagation  of  those  moral  and  spiritual  ideals  by  which 
its  safety  is  secured. 

But  if  democracy  is  to  become  strong  in  its  morals  it  needs  to 
be  spiritualized.  One  great  enemy  of  democracy  is  material- 
ism. The  tendency  of  material  prosperity  and  power  is  to 
make  men  undemocratic.  It  fosters  a  spirit  that  is  antagonistic 
to  the  general  welfare.  It  causes  some  to  usurp  rights  which 
they  are  unwilling  to  concede  to  others.  It  has  a  tendency 
to  selfishness  and  to  lead  men  to  ignore  the  natural  rights  of 
their  fellow  citizens  and  to  despoil  them  of  these  rights  for 
personal  gain,  and  then  to  pose  as  the  benefactors  of  those 
whom  they  have  despoiled.  Democracy  can  be  safe  only  where 
spiritual  values,  rather  than  material,  are  recognized  and  reign. 
Men  need  to  know  God  as  a  God  of  justice  and  to  believe  that 
man  was  made  in  the  image  of  God.  The  special  need  of 
democracy  is  for  that  spiritual  insight  and  discernment  which 
will  enable  it  to  know  what  Jesus  meant  when  He  said: 
"  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  the  least  of  these,  ye 
have  done  it  unto  me."    Democracy  will  be  truly  safe  when  it 


The  Demands  of  Democracy 


299 


has  become  fully  permeated  and  vitalized  by  the  spirit  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Another  demand  of  democracy  upon  the  church  is  that  the 
government  of  the  church  shall  be  truly  democratic.  This 
means  that  its  officers  shall  be  subject  to  election  by  the  people, 
and  that  its  doctrines  and  methods  of  administration  shall  be 
acceptable  to  the  whole  body  of  believers.  If  episcopacy  is  to 
be  the  form  of  government  of  the  future  church  it  must  needs 
be  modified  to  meet  this  demand.  This  demand  would  natu- 
rally require  that  bishops,  archbishops,  grand  patriarchs,  car- 
dinals, and  popes,  should  be  the  free  choice  of  all  the  Christian 
people.  It  would  seem  possible  to  organize  a  form  of  church 
government  much  similar  to  that  of  the  government  of  the 
United  States  of  America  in  which  the  valid  claims  of  episco- 
pacy would  be  maintained.  The  form  of  the  church's  gov- 
ernment seems  to  have  been  a  matter  of  small  significance 
to  Christ  and  His  apostles,  if  the  want  of  copious  treatment  and 
clear  instruction  is  any  index.  The  fact  and  spirit  of  govern- 
ment are  fully  recognized  and  taught,  but  not  its  form.  Why 
should  it  be  difficult  to  find  a  form  to  meet  democracy's  de- 
mand ? 

The  claims  of  democracy  upon  the  church  are  surely  very 
great  and  its  demands  very  insistent.  These  claims  cannot  be 
fully  met  by  a  divided  church.  Its  example,  because  of  its 
divisions,  is  more  detrimental  to  the  efficient  fulfillment  of  its 
task  than  many  are  willing  to  believe.  Its  power  to  inculcate 
moral  and  spiritual  instruction  in  those  ideals  that  are  necessary 
to  the  welfare  of  the  whole  body  of  the  people  as  an  organized 
community  is  seriously  weakened  by  its  state  of  division.  The 
high  interests  of  democracy  demand  that  this  movement  toward 
greater  unity  shall  go  forward  until  its  beautiful  ideal  of  a 
thoroughly  united  church  shall  have  been  realized. 


THE  SPUR  OF  A  GREAT  TASK 


GREAT  tasks  are  wrought  by  many  hands.  In  union  there 
is  strength.  To  realize  that  a  work  is  great,  and  that 
it  must  be  done,  is  a  strong  incentive  to  the  uniting  of  the  men 
and  women  necessary  to  its  accomplishment.  As  they  come  to 
see  the  greatness  of  the  enterprise  that  needs  the  help  which 
they  can  give  they  become  ready  to  do  their  part  to  help  it 
forward  to  success.  Much  of  the  world's  work  is  done  in  this 
way,  because  men  and  women  see  its  necessity  and  relation 
to  their  welfare.  The  realization  of  their  common  need  is 
quite  sure  to  bring  people  together  and  unite  them  in  their  ef- 
forts. This  vision  of  their  united  need  and  possibilities  of  at- 
tainment is  fundamental  to  their  united  work.  Most  people 
love  to  have  a  share  in  great  undertakings  and  accomplishments. 
They  glory  in  the  mighty  deeds  which  their  hands  have  helped 
to  do,  the  gigantic  task  in  which  their  strength  has  wrought 
its  bit,  and  in  their  hearts  they  realize  that  no  man  liveth  to 
himself. 

Great  tasks  may  be  defensive.  Some  great  danger  is  im- 
pending. Some  great  peril  is  imminent.  Some  great  disaster 
is  threatening.  Some  great  good  is  about  to  be  lost.  Some 
great  want  is  not  to  be  supplied.  The  cause  may  be  famine, 
fire,  flood,  pestilence,  war.  Where  men  and  women  realize  their 
danger  and  their  need  of  united  effort  in  the  defense  of  them- 
selves and  others  against  such  perils,  they  readily  join  hands 
with  all  others  who  are  striving  for  the  common  good  against 
the  common  enemy,  whatever  it  may  be,  and  are  seeking  to 
overcome  it.  In  Revolutionary  days  the  American  colonics 
were  brought  together  by  a  common  danger.    They  realized 

300 


The  Spur  of  a  Great  Task 


301 


that  their  rights  had  been  invaded  and  could  not  be  main- 
tained without  the  union  of  all  their  wisdom  and  their  strength. 
These  things  spurred  them  to  make  a  mutual  pledge  to  one 
another  of  their  fortunes,  lives  and  sacred  honor.  The  danger 
of  a  divided  country  was  the  spur  that  strongly  bound  and  held 
together  our  Northern  States  in  1861  and  the  years  that  fol- 
lowed. The  task  of  saving  the  union  was  the  impelling  thought 
that  filled  the  minds  of  the  North  and  cemented  them  together 
in  one  body.  The  task  of  resisting  and  overcoming  Germany's 
frightful  and  ferocious  aggressions  against  other  nations  was 
the  spur  that  brought  the  allied  powers  together  in  the  struggle 
now  waging.  Though  the  greatness  of  this  task  was  not  fully 
realized  at  first,  nor  for  some  years,  it  was  yet  seen  to  be 
momentous  and  secured  considerable  unity  of  aim  and  action. 
As  its  greatness  came  to  be  more  fully  realized  their  unity  of 
aim  and  effort  became  more  perfect  and  effective. 

Great  tasks  may  be  constructive.  Some  great  work  is  needed 
to  be  accomplished  for  the  benefit  of  all.  A  railroad  is  needed 
for  the  work  of  commerce  and  to  open  up  new  parts  of  the 
country.  A  canal  would  bring  great  and  good  results  in  the 
exchange  of  commerce.  The  task  of  universal  education  is  a 
momentous  one  and  as  the  people  realize  their  need  of  it  be- 
cause of  its  constructive  power  they  readily  unite  in  its  ad- 
vancement and  support.  This  constructive  task  may  be  the 
feeding,  clothing  and  warming  of  a  nation,  or  several  nations. 
It  may  be  the  moral  building  of  a  nation,  of  a  world.  The 
spur  that  makes  men  willing  to  undertake  and  continue  in  any 
task  is  the  realization  of  its  value  and  importance. 

The  great  task  before  the  church  is  both  defensive  and  con- 
structive. The  church  has  great  dangers  to  encounter  and 
great  enemies  to  overcome.  Its  task  is  "  against  the  princi- 
palities, against  the  powers,  against  tTie  world-rulers  of  this 
darkness,  against  the  spiritual  hosts  of  wickedness  in  the  heav- 


302 


Impelling  Forces 


enly  places."  The  church  has  many  enemies  who  are  seeking 
its  destruction.  Many  are  wanting  it  supplanted  by  some  ir- 
religious organization,  and  there  are  agnostic,  atheistic  and 
infidel  organizations  and  agencies  vigorously  at  work  against 
the  church's  influence  and  pow^er.  The  church  has  a  great  work 
of  defense  against  its  enemies,  who  are  also  the  enemies  of  its 
Head  and  King.  But  its  constructive  work  would  seem  to  be 
by  far  its  greater  task,  in  the  doing  of  which  its  defensive  work 
will  be  greatly  lessened.  This  task  is  that  of  giving  men 
and  nations  everj'where  their  true  ideals  and  to  teach  them 
how  to  harness  these  ideals  to  the  world's  work.  This  is  its  pre- 
eminent task  in  the  present  day.  These  ideals  are  not  simply 
fine  dreams  to  vanish  with  the  morning  light,  but  they  are  the 
visions  of  that  truth  of  things  by  which  men  are  to  live.  The 
work  of  the  church  is  to  help  men  to  realize  these  ideals  as  they 
relate  to  itself  and  as  they  relate  to  all  the  other  relations  and 
actual  affairs  of  living  men.  This  task  is  surely  a  momentous 
one  and  ought  to  be  a  very  ef¥ective  spur  to  bring  the  churches 
most  closely  together  for  its  accomplishment. 

The  task  of  realizing  these  ideals  in  regard  to  the  welfare 
of  the  rural  community  is  an  important  one.  Their  nature  and 
importance  is  being  widely  seen  and  realized.  Along  this  line 
The  Rev.  W.  L.  Anderson,  D.D.,  has  said  (Article  the  Homi- 
letic  Review)  : 

"  The  rural  community  is  charged  with  heavy  responsibilities 
for  the  national  welfare.  Great  as  is  the  economic  service  of 
the  country,  its  political  and  moral  and  personal  contribution 
is  not  less  momentous.  Hence  the  alarm  when  recent  decades 
strained  rural  life,  as  if  the  sources  of  national  strength  were 
imperiled.  The  '  country-life  movement  *  is  the  response  to 
that  deep  concern.  It  gathers  into  some  degree  of  unity  a  vast 
multitude  of  influences,  and  there  begin  to  appear  indications 
that  the  dreaded  crisis  may  be  safely  passed.    The  rural  com- 


The  Spur  of  a  Great  Task 


303 


munity  is  called  to  an  immeasurable  task,  and  it  must  be  re- 
vitalized at  whatever  cost.  Service  for  the  country  may  be 
less  strategic  than  service  for  the  city,  but  is  fundamental  and 
essential." 

The  task  of  realizing  our  high  and  true  ideals  for  the  church 

in  America  is  truly  a  gigantic  one.  To  overcome  the  forces  of 
evil  in  our  country  and  to  make  it  a  Republic  of  God  is  an  un- 
dertaking which  demands  strong  faith,  courage  and  united 
effort.  It  will  require  the  union  of  all  the  Christian  forces 
within  our  borders.  Great  evils  are  crouching  at  our  doors  like 
beasts  of  prey,  and  are  creeping  stealthily  into  home  and  church 
and  school.  The  power  of  evil  is  organized,  its  hosts  are  mar- 
shalled, its  phalanxes  move  in  harmony.  It  is  a  united  foe  — 
whether  it  be  intemperance,  greed,  graft,  oppression,  or  sensu- 
alit>'  —  and  will  not  be  conquered  by  a  scattered  army.  Dr. 
VV.  H.  P.  Faunce,  the  energetic  president  of  Brown  University, 
says : 

"  But  the  chief  agency  through  which  God  is  calling  his 
scattered  people  together  is  through  the  vision  of  a  gigantic 
task  here  in  America.  The  task  of  Christianizing  America, 
its  men  and  women  and  children,  its  laws  and  institutions,  its 
schools  and  colleges,  its  commerce  and  industry  and  trans- 
portation, its  ideals  and  aspirations,  is  so  huge  and  so  over- 
whelming that  we  instinctively  draw  together  as  we  face  it. 
The  magnificent  opportunities  in  this  land  of  freedom,  the 
world-wn'de  disaster  that  would  follow  any  failure  of  Chris- 
tianity in  America,  the  certainty  that  any  isolated  church  must 
fall  —  these  things  drive  us  together,  as  the  wireless  signal  of 
distress  at  sea  bring  many  vessels  from  many  ports  and  many 
lives  to  the  spot  where  one  ship  is  foundering  in  Mid- Atlantic. 
When  recently  (191 3)  the  Volturno  with  over  500  souls  aboard 
was  burning  in  mid-ocean,  at  least  ten  ships  responded  to 
the  mysterious  call  for  aid  sent  through  the  invisible  paths  of  the 


304 


Impelling  Forces 


air.  Four  British  ships,  two  German  ships  came,  and 
one  each  from  the  United  States,  Belgium,  France  and  Russia. 
Many  were  the  languages  they  spoke,  many  were  the  lands 
from  which  they  came,  and  for  seven  or  eight  difFerent  ports 
those  ships  were  bound.  Yet  they  stood  together  in  a  circle 
round  the  hopeless  blazing  vessel,  rendering  all  possible  aid 
through  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  the  gloom  of  the  morn- 
ing, united  by  the  awful  danger  they  confronted  and  their 
common  love  for  human  kind. 

"  These  things  are  a  parable.  If  racial  distinctions  can  vanish 
in  the  presence  of  great  duty,  cannot  sectarian  barriers  vanish 
also?  The  great  dividing  lines  of  modern  Christianity  are  not 
denominational.  They  are  the  lines  between  men  of  the  open 
mind  and  men  of  the  closed  mind,  men  of  the  generous  spirit 
and  men  of  the  craven  spirit,  men  of  moral  audacity  and  men 
of  timid  hesitation  in  all  denominations  and  all  regions  of  the 
country.  Every  one  of  us  is  far  nearer  to  some  men  in  other 
folds  than  he  is  to  some  men  in  his  own  fold.  All  the  Christian 
world  stands  in  concentric  circles  about  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
It  makes  no  dif?erence  whether  we  stand  north  or  south  or 
east  or  west  —  the  only  difference  is  between  near  and  far. 
All  who  are  near  to  him  are  near  to  one  another." 

Looking  at  this  task  from  the  standpoint  of  a  united  Protes- 
tantism, after  discussing  at  length  The  Common  Aim  —  the 
Kingdom  of  God  in  Righteousness  on  Earth:  Dr.  Thomas 
Cuming  Hall  concludes: 

"Therefore  Protestantism  has  a  large  task:  to  take  the  type 
of  the  religious  life  as  we  have  seen  it  in  Jesus  and  bring  that 
down  to  the  concrete  circumstances  of  every-day  life.  That  is 
a  big  task.  .  .  .  The  whole  history  of  the  race  has  been  one 
long  demonstration  of  the  fact  that  the  only  dynamic  that  is 
strong  enough,  constant  enough,  full  enough,  powerful  enough, 
eternal  enough,  is  the  power  of  religion  to  hold  men  to  their 


The  Spur  of  a  Great  Task 


305 


tasks  and  give  them  jo}'  and  confidence  as  they  face  the  cross 
that  stands  between  us  and  the  realization  of  the  Kingdom,  to 
face  the  great  task  to  which  you  and  I  have  given  our  lives, 
if  we  are  true  Protestants  and  true  Christians,  the  great  task 
of  making  this  God's  beautiful  earth,  so  reflect  the  garments  of 
His  holiness  that  when  little  children  are  bom  into  this  earth 
out  of  His  kingdom  they  will  not  be  weeping  strangers  in  the 
home  of  their  God,  but  will  wake,  as  they  come  to  years  of 
maturity,  to  a  world  in  which  love  reigns  and  brotherhood 
rules,  and  righteousness  has  been  realized,  and  God's  grace 
has  been  so  poured  out  that  as  our  little  ones  come  it  will  not 
be  into  the  darkness  of  the  dirty,  noisy,  crowded  manger ;  but 
when  the  little  ones  come  they  will  come  as  the  children  of 
God  to  the  family  of  God  to  be  received  already  into  his  joy 
and  know  at  last  that  the  world  is  a  world  of  righteousness, 
and  that  the  glory  of  God  is  the  light  of  it.  On  that  basis,  and 
that  basis  only,  may  we  link  our  strength  to  strength  and  so 
overcome  our  weakness  and  turn  aside  from  theological  dis- 
putations and  denominational  strife  to  the  one  great  task  God 
has  given  us;  to  make  this  world  reflect  the  type  of  His  right- 
eousness as  we  have  seen  it  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 

In  the  task  of  Christianizing  America  that  of  Christianizing 
all  its  cities  will  be  a  very  strenuous  part.  There  the  forces 
of  evil  are  centralized  and  have  their  greatest  sway  and  power. 
To  transform  these  cities  into  any  approximate  likeness  to  the 
New  Jerusalem  which  the  Apostle  John  saw  coming  down 
from  God  out  of  heaven  will  require  many  great  hearts  and 
ready  haqds.  To  change  them  from  what  they  now  are  into 
cities  of  God  will  demand  the  united  wisdom  and  strength  of 
all  within  them  who  love  God  and  pray  and  work  for  the 
coming  of  His  kingdom.  It  is  a  herculean  task.  But  it  is 
worth  trying.  They  will  become  cities  which  God  has  made 
when  His  ideals  have  been  realized  in  them  and  His  power 


3o6 


Impelling  Forces 


manifested  through  the  loyal  and  faithful  service  of  His  chil- 
dren. 

When  there  is  added  to  the  task  of  Christianizing  America 
that  of  Christianizing  all  the  non-Christian  nations  of  the 
world  the  task  of  the  church  becomes  truly  titanic.  It  is  not 
much  to  be  wondered  at  that  missionaries  who  have  a  clearer 
vision  of  the  world-wide  mission  of  the  church  than  most  of  us 
are  readily  disposed  to  come  together  in  one  body.  As  we 
think  of  the  great  forces  of  entrenched  evils  in  Christian 
lands  and  the  hold  they  have  upon  the  masses  of  the  people 
and  then  of  the  misery  and  degradation  of  the  non-Christian 
nations,  we  are  made  to  realize  that  a  united  Christendom  is 
needed  for  the  stupendous  work  to  be  done. 

This  task  is  a  momentous  one  in  any  part  of  it.  It  is 
momentous  in  the  field  of  moral  and  religious  education.  It  is 
so  in  the  field  of  missionary  enterprise  and  effort.  It  is  so  in  the 
purification  of  political  and  social  life.  This  is  often  realized 
when  a  temperance  campaign  is  being  waged,  or  when  a  special 
effort  is  to  be  made  along  the  line  of  evangelism.  But  if  it 
is  good  to  be  united  in  some  special  effort,  in  the  accomplish- 
ment of  some  special  phase  of  the  one  momentous  task,  it  is  good 
to  be  permanently  united  and  in  regard  to  every  phase  of  the 
task.  A  vision  of  the  momentous  nature  of  the  task  before  the 
church  is  a  powerful  spur  to  Christian  men  and  women  to 
come  together  in  that  perfect  and  complete  unity  which  is  ac- 
cording to  the  ideal  of  the  Scriptures. 

This  task  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  the  establishment  of 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  on  the  earth.  Nineteen  hundred  years 
ago  Jesus  came  to  the  earth  to  teach  men  the  nature  of  this 
Kingdom,  enjoined  His  disciples  to  pray  for  it  as  a  thing  of  first 
importance,  and  organized  His  church  for  its  establishment. 
He  taught  His  disciples  the  wonderful  comprehensiveness  of 
His  mission  when  He  said  to  them  "  I  am  come  in  order  that 


The  Spur  of  a  Great  Task 


307 


ye  might  have  life  and  that  ye  might  have  it  more  abundantly." 
He  proclaimed  the  nature  and  purport  of  His  mission  in  His 
first  sermon  in  the  town  of  Nazareth  where  He  had  been 
brought  up.  His  text  was  from  Isaiah:  "  The  spirit  of  Jehovah 
is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tid- 
ings to  the  poor,  to  bind  up  the  brokenhearted,  to  proclaim 
release  to  the  captives  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind,  to 
set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach  the  acceptable 
year  of  the  Lord  "  (61 :  i,  2).  According  to  His  own  concep- 
tion of  His  mission  the  Savior  of  men  was  divinely  ordained  to 
solve  the  problems  of  earth's  poverty  and  misery  and  crime  and 
disease,  as  well  as  to  usher  in  the  year  of  Go3's  favor. 

The  fundamental  task  of  the  church  is  the  same  as  Christ's. 
This  is  plainly  indicated  in  His  intercessory  prayer  in  the  words: 
"  As  thou  didst  send  me  into  the  world,  even  so  sent  I  them 
into  the  world."  The  essential  work  of  the  church  is  to  con- 
tinue the  work  begun  by  Him  toward  the  establishment  of  His 
Kingdom  on  the  earth.  His  sermon  on  the  Mount  lays  down 
the  basic  principles,  or  fundamental  laws,  of  this  kingdom. 
This  sermon  makes  righteousness,  love,  sacrifice  and  service  to 
be  obligatory  upon  all  citizens  of  His  kingdom.  These  are  the 
constitutional  requirements  imposed  upon  all  who  would  be  true 
citizens  of  that  kingdom. 

The  late  Professor  Walter  Rauschenbusch  has  thus  defined 
the  Kingdom  of  God :  "  The  Kingdom  of  God  is  the  ideal  of 
human  society  to  be  established.  Instead  of  a  society  resting 
on  coercion,  exploitation  and  inequality,  Jesus  desired  to  found 
a  society  resting  on  love,  service  and  equality.  The  Kingdom 
of  God  is  a  true  human  society;  the  ethics  of  Jesus  taught  the 
true  social  conduct  which  would  create  the  true  society." 

The  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  either  in  the  hu- 
man heart  or  in  human  society  demands  the  right  adjustment  of 
human  relationship;  the  production  of  a  state  of  harmony.  In 

I 


3o8 


Impelling  Forces 


the  individual  human  heart  the  work  of  Christ  brings  purity  of 
character,  righteousness  in  conduct  and  holiness  in  life.  As  a  re- 
sult the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  individual 
heart  assures  peace  to  that  heart  —  peace  with  God  and  peace 
with  his  fellovvmen.  He  really  is  the  true  Christian  who  has 
such  peace. 

But  the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  relates  to  men 
in  the  mass  as  well  as  to  individuals.  This  kingdom  is  more 
social  than  individualistic.  It  concerns  men  in  their  relations 
to  each  other;  their  intercourse,  their  fellowship,  their  duties 
and  responsibilities  toward  one  another.  It  cannot  be  estab- 
lished on  earth  until  the  laws  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  become 
operative  in  human  society  as  well  as  in  individual  life.  The 
establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth  will  result  in 
the  reign  of  peace  among  men,  for  it  is  a  kingdom  of  peace 
and  its  king  is  "  The  Prince  of  Peace." 

To  recognize  the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  on 
earth  to  be  the  fundamental  task  of  the  church  is  to  recognize 
its  supreme  mission  to  be  the  bringing  down  of  peace  upon 
this  earth  —  peace  in  the  human  heart  and  peace  in  every 
phase  of  human  society.  And  what  a  mighty  task  this  is.  It 
means  a  new  philosophy  of  life  to  vast  multitudes  of  men  as 
individuals  and  as  members  of  human  society.  It  means  a 
new  philosophy  of  national  life  and  of  international  relations, 
very  different  from  that  of  the  past. 

The  condition  of  human  society  in  any  particular  era  in  a 
nation  is  the  result  of  its  dominant  thought  in  the  era  just  pre- 
ceding. Radical  changes  in  the  conduct  of  nations  as  well  as 
individuals  is  sure  to  follow  radical  changes  in  philosophic 
thought.  Revolutionary  epochs  are  the  result  of  new  ideas 
which  have  gained  ascendency  in  the  public  mind.  The  phi- 
losophy of  life  which  prevails  to-day  becomes  the  source  of 
action  on  to-morrow.    New  epochs  in  the  life  of  nations  are 


The  Spur  of  a  Great  Task 


309 


the  result  of  some  renaissance  of  philosophic  thought.  The  dis- 
covery of  the  book  of  the  law  and  devotion  to  its  teaching  in 
King  Josiah's  day  wrought  a  great  revolution  in  ancient  Israel. 
The  philosophies  of  Socrates,  Plato  and  Aristotle  so  stimulated 
the  thought  power  of  ancient  Greece  that  it  became  one  of  the 
great  nations  of  the  earth.  The  philosophies  of  Zeno  and 
Epicurus  were  the  source  of  its  decline  and  ruin.  Compte, 
Rousseau,  and  Voltaire  gave  to  France  the  philosophy  that 
brought  on  the  French  Revolution.  Wicliffe,  Melancthon  and 
Luther  promulgated  the  philosophic  and  Christian  ideas  which 
brought  about  the  Protestant  Reformation.  Mill  and  Malthus 
laid  the  philosophic  groundwork  upon  which  England's  political 
economists  developed  the  commercial  power  of  Great  Britain. 
The  philosophy  of  Nietzsche,  accepted  and  promulgated  by 
Treitzsche  and  Bernhardi,  is  the  source  of  Germany's  inhuman 
cruelty  and  ferocious  conduct  in  this  most  frightful  of  all  wars. 
His  philosophy  of  the  superman  assumes  that  there  is  a  necessary 
and  constant  struggle  between  the  races  of  men  for  existence. 
This  philosophy  has  dominated  the  thought  of  the  German 
people  for  some  years  and  has  prepared  their  minds  and  hearts 
for  the  terrible  conflict  now  waging.  It  was  this  cruel  and 
heartless  philosophy  rather  than  any  concrete  act  that  was  the 
real  cause  of  the  world's  greatest  war.  According  to  this,  phi- 
losophy the  German  people  are  a  race  of  supermen  and  are  to 
be  supreme  and  to  survive  in  the  struggle  at  the  expense  of 
weaker  nations  and  weaker  peoples. 

The  thought  that  rules  America  and  the  rest  of  the  allies  in 
this  struggle  is  a  much  better  philosophy  than  Germany's.  The 
brotherhood  of  man  is  recognized.  The  right  of  every  man 
and  nation  to  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  is  a  part 
of  their  creed.  The  thought  of  international  righteousness  and 
justice  is  dominant  and  pervasive.  Theirs  is  a  philosophy  that 
teaches  men  to  give  and  to  suffer  and  to  sacrifice  for  the  wel- 


310 


Impelling  Forces 


fare  of  the  weak  and  prostrate.  It  is  a  much  better  philosophy 
than  that  which  leads  men  to  become  the  destroyers  of  the 
weak  and  to  act  upon  the  theory  that  might  makes  right.  It 
has  many  parts  in  common  with  the  philosophy  of  the  gospel 
upon  which  it  ultimately  rests  and  from  which  all  its  moral  aims 
had  their  beginning. 

The  gospel,  committed  to  the  church's  care,  and  for  its 
propagation,  contains  the  best  possible  philosophy  of  life  for 
individual  men  and  for  nations.  The  task  of  giving  this  phi- 
losophy to  the  world  and  of  so  impressing  the  world  with  its 
truthfulness  and  value  that  it  will  produce  a  new  world  epoch 
of  righteousness,  brotherly  love,  sacrifice,  and  service  assuredly 
is  a  mighty  task.  Is  not  this  the  task  which  both  the  Spirit  and 
providence  of  God  have  laid  upon  the  church  of  to-day?  Will 
the  church  rise  to  the  realization  of  the  opportunity,  respon- 
sibility, and  possibility  that  lies  before  it  in  regard  to  the  es- 
tablishment of  Christ's  Kingdom  on  the  earth?  Will  its  di- 
visions so  unite  as  to  be  most  effective  in  the  accomplishment 
of  this  great  task  ? 


DUTIES 


CONFESSION  OF  SIN 


IF  schism  is  a  sin,  its  confession  as  such  is  certainly  in  order. 
As  soon  as  sin  of  any  kind  has  been  committed  it  ought  to 
be  confessed.  This  is  a  first  requirement  in  obtaining  deliv- 
erance from  its  power  and  penalty.  One  of  the  great  truths 
of  the  Scriptures  is  the  necessity  of  such  confession.  Its  im- 
portance was  taught  very  clearly  in  the  sacrificial  system  of  the 
Old  Testament  dispensation.  In  these  sacrifices  the  worshipper 
was  required  to  confess  his  sins  upon  the  head  of  his  victim 
before  he  offered  it  as  his  substitute  in  meeting  the  penalty  of 
these  sins.  This  acknowledgment  that  he  was  a  sinner,  in- 
herently and  actually,  and  that  as  such  he  was  worthy  of  sin's 
penalty',  was  a  vital  and  prime  part  of  his  worship.  The  old 
proverb  which  says:  "  He  that  covereth  his  sins  shall  not 
prosper,  but  whoso  confesseth  and  forsaketh  them  shall  have 
mercy,"  shows  that  the  significance  of  confession  was  clearly 
understood  by  the  ancients.  David,  the  greatest  of  Israel's 
Kings,  was  made  to  realize  its  place  and  importance  before  he 
penned  the  Thirty-second  Psalm  in  which  he  portrayed  his  own 
experiences,  that  he  might  teach  others  what  to  do,  and  in- 
spire them  to  do  it.  Before  confession  his  heart  was  full  of 
misery  and  woe,  but  as  soon  as  confession  was  made  he  was 
filled  with  inward  peace  and  joy.  Nothing  is  more  conspicu- 
ous in  the  messages  of  the  prophets  than  their  oft-repeated  ap- 
peal to  the  rulers  and  the  people  to  confess  their  sins  and  turn 
unto  God.  One  of  them  could  say  to  those  whom  he  was  urg- 
ing to  make  confession  and  who  were  insincerely  inquiring  how 
to  do  it:  "  He  hath  showed  thee,  O  man,  what  is  good;  and 
what  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee,  but  to  do  justly,  and  to 
love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God?  "    When  John 

313 


314 


Duties 


the  Baptist  began  his  work  as  the  forerunner  of  Christ  his 
message  was  a  call  to  repentance  and  confession  of  sin.  When 
Jesus  began  his  public  ministry  his  message  likewise  was  a  call 
to  repentance  and  confession.  He  taught  that  it  is  a  par- 
ticular work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  convict  men  of  sin.  The 
Christian  church  came  into  being  amid  the  confessions  of  those 
who  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  under  the  power  of  the  Spirit  ac- 
knowledged their  guilt  and  accepted  Jesus  as  their  Savior.  In 
truth  the  great  purport  of  the  Scriptures  is  an  appeal  to  men  to 
make  confession  of  their  sins  unto  God  and  to  obtain  forgiveness 
through  His  Son  as  their  Savior  and  in  obedience  to  His  will. 

But  very  many  Christian  people  are  not  conscious  of  any 
sin  in  schism.  They  do  not  think  it  is  a  sin ;  or  they  think  that, 
if  it  is,  it  is  a  very  trifling  one.  In  general  their  thought  and 
feeling  is:  "We  did  not  make  these  divisions  of  the  church 
and  do  not  see  that  we  have  any  responsibility  for  their  ex- 
istence." They  forget  that  it  is  possible  to  become  used  to  very 
great  evils,  and  to  grow  up  in  the  midst  of  them  and  be  un- 
conscious of  their  harm,  and  to  believe  that  things  are  just 
about  as  they  ought  to  be  when  they  are  actually  very  wrong. 
They  are  oblivious  of  the  lines  of  Pope  which  say: 

"  Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 
As,  to  be  hated,  needs  but  to  be  seen ; 
Yet  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace." 

When  some  new  schism  takes  place,  its  nature  as  a  sin  will 
be  recognized  and  lamented  possibly  for  a  time,  and  then 
people  will  become  used  to  it,  and  still  later  to  think  that  it 
is  just  what  ought  to  be.  Just  such  a  state  of  mind  is  sure 
to  prevail  under  the  dominance  of  a  conservative  disposition. 
By  many  in  these  later  times  schism  is  embraced  as  a  good  and 
necessary  thing,  a  special  phase  and  index  of  progress  and  de- 


Confession  of  Sin 


315 


velopment.  They  regard  and  herald  it  as  a  mark  of  advance- 
ment, an  evidence  of  growth  toward  a  higher  state  of  perfection 
in  the  church's  life. 

Nevertheless,  schism  is  a  sin.  The  Scriptures  teach  it  to  be 
so,  and  the  past  weakness  and  partial  failure  of  the  church  are 
evidence  along  this  line.  Near  the  beginning  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament church  schism  made  its  appearance  in  the  rebellion  of 
Korah  and  his  company,  but  was  soon  suppressed  and  punished 
by  the  direction  and  intervention  of  Jehovah.  The  schism 
started  by  Aaron  and  Miriam  was  speedily  rebuked  and  pun- 
ished in  the  leprosy  of  Miriam.  The  schism  of  Absolom  sup- 
ported and  sustained  by  Ahithophel's  counsel  and  advice  soon 
met  with  severe  judgment  at  the  hands  of  an  overruling  Provi- 
dence. The  schism  wrought  by  Jereboam,  the  son  of  Nebat,  was 
very  injurious  to  the  welfare  of  the  Old  Testament  church 
and  marked  him  as  the  man  "  Who  taught  Israel  to  sin."  This 
oft-repeated  epithet  describing  him  as  the  author  and  agent 
of  a  schism,  shows  what  the  sacred  writers  of  the  olden  dispen- 
sation thought  upon  this  subject.  The  teaching  of  Christ 
with  which  the  New  Testament  dispensation  began  is  directly 
opposed  to  anything  like  schism.  He  laid  great  stress  upon  the 
importance  and  necessity  of  loving  one  another.  He  made  this 
love  to  be  the  bond  of  union  among  His  followers.  His  strong 
desire  was  that  by  this  bond  through  all  succeeding  generations 
they  should  be  bound  and  held  together  in  one  body.  He 
prayed  that  they  might  not  be  guilty  of  the  sin  of  schism  when 
He  prayed  as  Intercessor  that  they  might  be  perfected  into  one. 
The  apostles  recognized  it  as  a  heinous  evil.  One  whole  book 
in  the  New  Testament,  First  Corinthians,  is  a  special  argu- 
ment and  appeal  for  unity  among  brethren  and  a  protest 
against  the  sin  of  schism.  The  apostle's  great  love  for  the 
church  at  Corinth,  and  his  earnest  desire  for  its  escape  from 
this  sin  are  clearly  shown.    He  approaches  the  subject  in  these 


3i6 


Duties 


kind  and  tender  words:  "  Now  I  beseech  you,  brethren, 
through  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  ye  all  speak 
the  same  thing,  and  that  there  be  no  divisions  among  you;  but 
that  ye  be  perfected  together  in  the  same  mind."  ( i  Cor. 
i:io.)  As  he  proceeds  he  insists  that  their  divisions  were 
evidence  that  they  were  carnal,  and  points  out  that  diversities 
of  spiritual  gifts  were  perfectly  compatible  with  unity.  In  a 
beautiful  panegyric  he  presents  Christian  love  as  the  great  anti- 
dote of  schism,  and  urges  that  love,  kindness  and  gentleness 
shall  control  and  guide  them  in  all  their  intercourse.  The 
Apostle  John  insists  most  strongly  upon  our  possession  and 
practice  of  that  love  which  is  the  antidote  of  schism. 

The  sin  of  schism  is  very  widespread.  It  exists  wherever 
the  church  is  divided.  Each  denomination  or  sect  is  a  part  "  cut 
off  "  from  the  rest  of  the  church.  It  is  a  severed  portion  of  the 
body  of  Christ.  It  is  a  mere  fragment  of  that  organization 
which  was  chosen  and  ordained  by  Him  to  represent  and  bring 
in  His  Kingdom.  It  is  but  a  small  fraction  of  the  great  multi- 
tude whom  He  is  willing  to  recognize  as  brethren.  It  is  a 
diminutive  segment  cut  ofF  from  the  great  circle  of  the  re- 
deemed through  the  perversity  of  somebody's  will  within  itself, 
or  in  some  other  part.  It  is  a  little  section  separated  from  the 
whole  church  on  account  of  its  own,  or  somebody  else's  selfish- 
ness and  sin.  The  sin  of  schism  affects  the  whole  body  of 
Christian  believers;  every  denomination,  every  congregation, 
every  individual  member  of  the  church.  It  is  so  pervasive  and 
Christian  men  and  women  are  so  bound  up  in  the  bundle  of  life 
with  each  other  that  no  one  can  escape  the  pollution  and  guilt 
of  this  sin  without  confession  and  prayer  for  its  removal.  It  so 
permeates  our  religious  thinking,  feelings,  and  aims,  that  our 
spiritual  life  is  much  affected  by  it.  It  is  so  common  and  so 
wrought  into  our  religious  habits  that  we  fail  to  recognize  its 
presence  and  guilt,  or  we  attempt  to  justify  ourselves  in  its 


Confession  of  Sin 


317 


indulgence.  It  is  a  malaria  which  poisons  the  whole  atmosphere 
of  church  life.  It  is  a  deleterious  earthly  element  that  has  found 
its  way  into  all  our  sectarian  wells  of  salvation  and  has  con- 
taminated for  us  the  very  water  of  life.  It  finds  its  way  into 
the  supply  of  mental  and  spiritual  food  by  which  we  are  nour- 
ished and  taints  this  supply  with  a  subtile  and  injurious  poison. 
It  touches  us  in  so  many  ways  that  escape  from  its  inoculation 
is  impossible. 

Schism  is  a  flagrant  sin.  It  is  one  of  which  the  church  is 
guilty  in  the  face  of  the  ideal  of  its  founder  and  the  perfection 
of  the  bond  of  union  which  He  established  to  hold  its  members 
together  in  one  body.  It  flourishes  in  opposition  to  His  most 
earnest  desire  for  the  church's  unity  as  shown  by  His  New 
Commandment  and  His  Intercessory  Prayer.  It  prevails  in 
opposition  to  all  the  exhortations  and  appeals  of  the  apostles  in 
respect  to  the  cherishing  of  those  graces  and  virtues  which 
make  for  unity  among  brethren,  and  in  spite  of  their  warnings 
and  counsel  against  those  characteristics  which  produce  discord 
among  brethren.  It  continues  and  abounds  notwithstanding  the 
many  evils  which  follow  in  its  train.  It  is  the  promoter  of 
unseemly  rivalry  and  strife.  It  is  the  cause  of  moral,  spiritual, 
and  economic  waste.  It  makes  men  opinionated  and  selfish. 
It  restricts  and  restrains  the  thoughtful  inquirer  after  truth. 
It  discourages  openmindedness.  It  is  the  instigator  of  wrong 
passions  and  purposes.  It  separates  friends.  It  limits  the  en- 
terprise and  accomplishments  of  the  church.  It  interferes 
gravely  with  the  successes  and  triumphs  of  the  church  in 
representing  and  bringing  in  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Schism  is  to  be  recognized  as  a  hereditary  infection  which 
binds  us  to  the  past.  These  divisions  to  most  of  us  are  primarily 
inherited  conditions.  They  were  created  by  our  forbears  in 
some  past  generation  more  or  less  remote.  But  they  have 
become  ours  by  acceptance  and  continuance,  and  we  arc  now  in 


3i8 


Duties 


the  same  category  with  those  by  whom  they  were  brought  into 
existence.  It  is  scriptural  to  acknowledge  that  our  fathers  have 
sinned.  Only  a  false  pride  of  ancestry  could  persuade  us  that 
they  could  do  no  wrong  in  making  a  schism.  With  the 
Psalmist  we  may  well  admit  our  guilt  by  saying:  "We  have 
sinned  with  our  fathers,  we  have  committed  iniquity,  we  have 
done  wickedly."  (Ps.  io6:6.)  With  Jeremiah  we  may  fit- 
tingly exclaim :  "  We  lie  down  in  our  shame,  and  our  con- 
fusion covereth  us;  for  we  have  sinned  against  the  Lord  our 
God,  we  and  our  fathers,  from  our  youth  even  unto  this  day,  and 
have  not  obeyed  the  voice  of  the  Lord  our  God."  ( Jer.  3  :  25.) 
With  Daniel  we  may  well  cry:  "O  Lord,  to  us  belongeth 
confusion  of  face,  to  our  kings,  to  our  princes,  and  to  our 
fathers,  because  we  have  sinned  against  thee."  (Dan.  9:8.) 
Doubtless  our  fathers  and  mothers  were  very  excellent  people, 
but  yet  they  were  not  perfect  Christians,  and  their  sins  as  well 
as  their  virtues  have  been  handed  down  to  their  posterity.  This 
is  also  in  harmony  with  the  laws  of  heredity  as  taught  by  modern 
science  as  well  as  by  the  Scriptures.  It  is  no  excuse  for  sinful 
conditions  to  say  that  they  have  been  inherited.  These  condi- 
tions are  to  be  gotten  rid  of  the  same  as  though  begun  by  our- 
selves. Sin  is  harmful  and  ruinous  however  and  wherever  it 
began.    It  ought  to  be  confessed  and  forsaken. 

In  his  address  before  the  Men  and  Religion  Congress  in  1912 
on  "  A  Plea  for  Church  Unity,"  Dr.  Ira  Landrith,  points  out 
the  evil  results  of  schisms  in  the  following  impressive  manner: 
"  Finally,  growing  out  of  our  experience  we  find,  first  of  all, 
that  competition  in  God's  work  is  a  crime,  even  if  there  be 
excuse  for  competition  elsewhere.  We  have  no  time  for  friction 
in  the  business  of  world-saving  or  world-winning.  Here  is  an 
unpardonable  sin,  if  there  be  one.  And  even  though  one  of  our 
little  systems  were  to  fail,  or  one  of  our  little  organizations  were 
to  suffer,  the  whole  cause  would  be  blessed  by  closer  union." 


Confession  of  Sin 


319 


Confession  is  God's  way  by  which  ablution  from  personal 
guilt  in  this  matter  can  be  obtained.  As  with  every  other  sin 
His  appointed  way  of  pardon  lies  by  the  altar  of  confession. 
For  our  encouragement  to  walk  in  this  way  we  have  the  assur- 
ing promise  that  "  If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and 
righteous  to  forgive  us  our  sins  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  un- 
righteousness." (i  Jno.  1:9.)  This  duty  of  confession  has 
been  fully  recognized  and  fervently  urged  by  eminent  church 
leaders.  The  Right  Rev.  C.  P.  Anderson,  D.D.,  in  his  pub- 
lished address  on  The  Manifestation  of  Unity  presses  home  this 
duty  with  these  cogent  words: 

1.  "Let  us  confess  the  sin  of  schism  —  the  sin  I  say:  not 
simply  its  economic  disadvantage,  its  shortsighted  policy,  its 
unstatesman-like  method,  its  unstrategic  warfare  with  the 
world,  but  its  sin. 

2.  "  Let  us  confess  our  part  in  the  sin.  It  is  easy  to  confess 
sin  in  the  abstract.  What  is  needed  is  an  honest  though 
humiliating  acknowledgement  of  our  part  in  the  making  and 
in  the  perpetuating  of  schism.  We  have  much  to  confess  — 
haughtiness,  aloofness,  self-satisfaction,  false  witness  against  our 
neighbors. 

3.  "  Let  us  cease  confessing  other  people's  sins.  We 
Anglicans  have  confessed  the  sins  of  the  Roman  Catholics  and 
the  Protestants  with  great  ardor  and  with  unstinted  fullness. 
Let  them  confess  their  own.  It  will  keep  them  busy.  We  are 
not  authorized  to  do  it  for  them.  We  are  forbidden  to  judge 
others  and  commanded  to  judge  ourselves.  Rome's  contribu- 
tion to  the  sin  of  schism  may  have  been  incalculably  great. 
Protestant  contributions  may  have  been  incalculably  many.  But 
our  own  skirts  are  not  clear  by  any  means.  Please  God  they 
and  we  may  see  the  sinfulness  of  our  sins  some  day  and  humbly 
confess  it.  Thankful  may  that  church  be,  to  which  God  gives 
the  grace  to  be  the  first  to  cry,  Peccavi.    Until  the  churches  are 


320 


Duties 


convicted  of  sin,  as  our  Methodist  brethren  would  say,  there 
will  be  little  progress  toward  the  manifestation  of  unity." 

In  an  address  upon  "  Unity  —  the  Need  of  the  Hour,"  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Bishop  of  Michigan  emphasizes  the  fact 
that  conviction  of  the  sin  of  schism  is  necessary  before  the  cause 
of  unity  can  make  progress.  He  presents  the  need  of  such  con- 
viction w'ith  such  urgent  words  as  these: 

"  The  conviction  of  sin,  the  plain  old-fashioned,  and  in  some 
quarters  unmentionable,  sin  of  schism  —  and  mind  you  I  am 
not  speaking  here  as  an  Episcopalian ;  I  recognize  and  shoulder 
our  full  share  of  that  sin ;  I  am  not  charging  it  upon  others, 
perhaps  we  may  have  more  of  it  than  some  of  you  have  —  but 
at  least  the  recognition  of  that  sin  of  schism  is  being  forced 
upon  our  consciences  by  the  exigencies  of  our  common  task, 
particularly  in  the  mission  field,  and  especially  by  the  sense  of 
our  common  perils,  and  even  worse,  our  common  failures.  The 
Christian  church  has  had  many  hard  bumps  in  recent  years. 
Perhaps  she  has  got  to  fall  yet  lower  and  strike  rock  bottom 
before  she  fully  awakes  to  the  situation.  I  confess  I  have  little 
patience  and  less  sympathy  with  those  who  proclaim  and  even 
boast  of  the  benefits  of  the  divided  denominationalism,  who 
claim  that  it  is  only  in  rivalry  and  competition,  and  often  the 
jealousy  between  denominations,  that  we  can  fire  the  motive 
for  zeal  and  secure  the  purity  of  our  various  communions.  As 
I  view  the  situation,  I  must  say  frankly  that  these  alleged 
advantages  are  infinitesimal  and  negligible  when  compared  with 
the  enormous  economic  waste  of  our  divided  energies  and 
policies,  the  utter  loss  of  dignity  and  discipline  in  the  Christian 
church,  the  diminution  of  power  and  efficiency,  the  divided  front 
in  face  of  common  and  terrible  moral  and  social  evils,  and  above 
all  the  unchristian  bitterness,  jealousy,  and  strife  that  result 
inevitably  from  our  lack  of  unity  and  even  comity." 

Whatever  were  the  causes  in  the  past  that  brought  about  the 


Confession  of  Sin  321 

present  divided  state  of  the  church  outward  and  external  con- 
ditions have  greatly  changed,  and  the  new  conditions  that  have 
arisen  are  bringing  to  light  the  evil  that  is  inherent  in  this 
state  of  division.  In  view  of  this  the  sin  of  schism  becomes 
more  heinous  with  the  passing  of  the  years.  It  is  a  sin  against 
the  greater  light.  It  is  a  sin  in  the  face  of  increasing  evidences 
of  its  evil  nature.  It  is  a  sin  whose  bundle  of  pernicious  fruits 
are  making  it  more  manifest  from  year  to  year  that  the  principle 
of  division  is  specially  pernicious  in  its  application  to  the  organ- 
ization and  administration  of  the  church.  It  is  therefore  a  sin 
which  the  present  generation  ought  to  be  the  more  ready  to 
confess.  In  the  light  of  the  events  of  these  later  years  it  is 
specially  fitting  to  confess  that  many  of  our  thoughts,  feelings, 
and  aims  on  church  matters  have  not  been  in  full  harmony  with 
the  spirit  and  genius  of  the  gospel.  Many  of  us  may  well 
acknowledge  that  our  attitude  toward  this  sin  of  schism  has 
either  been  one  of  great  indifference,  or  one  of  apology  and  the 
defense  of  its  existence.  If  we  have  magnified  in  our  thinking 
and  in  our  Christian  work  the  differences  between  other 
Christian  workers  and  ourselves,  we  should  be  ready  to  con- 
fess our  sin.  Ruskin  saj's:  "Whenever  .  .  .  we  allow  our 
minds  to  dwell  upon  the  points  in  which  we  differ  from  other 
people  we  are  wrong  and  in  the  devil's  power."  If  we  have 
been  saying  to  ourselves:  "  Lord,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not 
as  other  men  are  in  other  churches  "  we  have  great  reason  to 
become  penitent  and  make  confession  of  our  sin.  If  we  have 
been  saying  and  doing  things  which  nurture  and  promote  in  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  others  this  sin  of  schism  are  we  not 
guilty,  and  ought  we  not  to  make  confession  of  our  sin?  If 
we  are  so  strongly  opinionated  in  regard  to  some  particular  and 
peculiar  view  of  the  Scriptures,  or  of  religious  duty,  and  are 
unwilling  to  concede  that  others  with  differing  views  may 
possibly  be  right,  we  have  much  reason  to  make  confession  in 


322 


Duties 


regard  to  one  of  the  special  causes  of  division  in  .ne  church. 
If  the  dominant  spirit,  aim,  and  purpose  in  our  Christian  work 
is  selfish  and  sectarian  w  e  ought  to  be  repentant  and  make  con- 
fession. If  we  have  any  feelings  of  envy,  jealousy,  ilhvill,  hate 
and  other  kindred  emotions,  we  ought  certainly  to  be  sorry  for 
the  sinful  propensities  still  lurking  within  us,  confess  our  sin 
and  seek  forgiveness.  The  spirit  and  the  vision  of  the  follow- 
ing lines  are  fitting  for  us  all: 

"  Forgive,  O  Lord,  our  severing  ways, 

The  separate  altars  that  we  raise, 

The  varying  tongues  that  speak  thy  praise! 

"  Suffice  it  now.    In  time  to  be 
Shall  one  great  temple  rise  to  thee, 
Thy  church  our  broad  humanity. 

"  White  flowers  of  love  its  walls  shall  climb, 
Sweet  bells  of  peace  shall  ring  its  chime. 
Its  days  shall  all  be  holy  time. 

"  The  hymn  long  sought  shall  then  be  heard, 
The  music  of  the  world's  accord. 
Confessing  Christ,  the  inward  word ! 

"  That  song  shall  swell  from  shore  to  shore, 
One  faith,  one  love,  one  hope  restore 
The  seamless  garb  that  Jesus  wore !  " 


PRAYER  AND  SUPPLICATION 


HEN  Jesus  taught  us  to  pray  "  Thy  Kingdom  Come  " 


▼  T  He  gave  this  petition  a  place  of  prominence  among  the 
petitions  of  His  model  prayer.  Our  desires  concerning  His 
Kingdom  are  to  be  among  the  first  to  fill  our  hearts  and  actuate 
our  lives.  Elsewhere  He  teaches  us  that  we  are  to  seek  first 
the  Kingdom  of  God.  But  praying  for  the  coming  of  His 
Kingdom  involves  praying  for  the  church  as  the  agency  or 
instrument  by  which  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  to  be  brought 
down  from  heaven  and  established  on  the  earth.  We  cannot 
ofTer  this  petition  for  the  coming  of  Christ's  Kingdom  with 
much  comprehension  of  its  meaning  and  range  of  vision  without 
thinking  of  the  church  as  its  representative  and  agent.  Nor 
can  we  oflFer  this  petition  with  any  full  apprehension  of  its 
purport  without  realizing  that  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom 
depends  in  no  small  measure  upon  the  character  and  condition 
of  the  church.  His  Kingdom  cannot  fully  come  until  the 
church  has  been  made  perfect  in  its  unity.  To  pray  truly  and 
sincerely  for  the  coming  of  His  Kingdom  involves  and  requires 
our  praying  for  the  unity  of  the  church  as  an  essential  condition 
to  the  securing  of  the  end  for  which  we  long.  To  pray  for  unity 
is  to  recognize  and  specify  the  place  of  unity  in  the  purposes  of 
God  for  the  coming  of  His  Kingdom  on  the  earth. 

Now  the  Scriptures  teach  very  plainly  the  place  and  impor- 
tance of  prayer  in  connection  with  any  great  movement.  Such 
movements  are  born  and  shaped  and  developed  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  prayer.  A  glance  at  the  history  of  the  great  move- 
ments relating  to  the  establishment  of  God's  Kingdom  on  the 
earth  readily  reveals  the  place  and  power  of  prayer.  The  men 
chosen  of  God  to  be  the  leaders  of  such  movements  in  all  times 


323 


324 


Duties 


were  men  of  prayer.  For  instance  Abraham  who  was  chosen 
to  be  the  father  of  the  chosen  people  and  the  founder  of  a  great 
race  was  a  man  of  such  close  communion  and  fellowship  with 
the  Divine  Being  that  he  was  called  "  The  Friend  of  God." 
Again  and  again  he  had  intercourse  with  God  about  the 
promised  land  and  the  posterity  by  which  this  land  should  be 
occupied.  Moses,  who  was  raised  up  to  lead  the  chosen  people 
out  of  bondage  and  to  organize  them  into  a  strong  and  vigorous 
church  and  a  great  and  powerful  nation  and  was  authorized  to 
give  them  permanent  forms  of  worship  and  religious  institutions 
was  a  man  of  prayer.  He  lived  in  constant  fellowship  with 
God.  Forty  days  and  nights  on  his  face  before  God  marked 
the  beginning  of  a  system  of  law  and  of  religious  rites  and 
ceremonies  relating  to  the  Kingdom  of  God  which  has  greatly 
affected  its  development  and  progress  in  the  world  through 
many  centuries.  David,  who  was  chosen  to  organize  and  de- 
velop the  Kingdom  of  Israel  as  a  kingdom  in  which  the  sov- 
ereignty of  Jehovah  was  recognized,  acknowledged  and  pro- 
claimed, was  a  man  of  prayer.  In  his  organization  of  the 
priesthood  into  courses  and  his  preparations  for  the  praise 
element  in  worship  he  showed  his  loyalty  to  Jehovah  with  whom 
during  much  of  his  life  he  was  in  close  communion.  His 
Psalms  are  full  of  prayers.  These  show  how  deeply  the  spirit 
of  prayer  pervaded  all  his  activities  on  behalf  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God,  whose  praises  he  delights  to  sing.  The  Prophet 
Elijah  who  was  called  to  begin  a  great  work  of  reformation 
among  the  tribes  of  Israel  was  a  man  who  was  mighty  in 
prayer.  He  could  speak  of  God  as  the  One  "  before  whom 
I  stand."  Once  when  he  became  discouraged  and  disheartened 
the  Lord  showed  him  that  the  work  for  which  he  had  so 
earnestly  prayed  was  going  on  quietly  and  that  others  would 
take  it  up. 

New  Testament  biography  and  history  illustrate  the  same 


Prayer  and  Supplication 


325 


truth.  Jesus,  the  Founder  of  the  Christian  church,  lived  in 
constant  and  close  communion  with  His  Father.  Yet  when 
any  new  movement  of  importance  in  his  ministry  was  under- 
taken He  spent  some  time  in  special  prayer.  Such  was  the 
case  just  before  His  choice  of  the  Twelve  and  His  inaugural 
address  on  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  His  sermon  on  the  Mount. 
Such  was  the  case  before  He  surrendered  to  His  enemies  that 
He  might  accomplish  the  great  work  of  making  atonement  for 
the  sins  of  men.  The  apostles  spent  much  time  in  prayer  before 
the  baptism  of  the  Church  with  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  they  continued  much  in  praj'er  as  the 
work  of  establishing  the  church  went  for\vard.  The  vision  of 
the  new  movement  which  included  the  Gentiles  within  the 
church  was  given  to  Peter  in  the  act  of  prayer.  The  Apostle 
Paul  became  the  great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  in  answer  to 
prayer,  and  the  great  work  of  bringing  them  into  the  church 
was  begun  in  the  midst  of  earnest  prayer. 

So  it  has  been  in  more  modern  times.  Luther  was  a  man  of 
prayer.  In  his  busiest  times  he  would  spend  hours  at  a  time 
in  his  devotions.  John  Knox,  the  great  Scottish  reformer  was 
a  man  whose  prayers  Queen  Mary  feared  more  than  all  the 
armies  of  England,  and  whose  cry  to  God  was  "  Give  me 
Scotland  or  I  die."  The  Pilgrim  fathers  who  undertook  the 
work  of  founding  a  new  church  upon  the  newly  discovered 
Western  Continent  were  men  of  earnest  prayer  and  supplica- 
tion. They  fell  upon  their  knees  in  gratitude  for  a  safe  voyage 
and  in  earnest  supplication  for  guidance  in  the  great  work  for 
whose  sake  they  had  braved  the  perils  of  the  deep  and  faced  the 
hardships  of  first  settlers  in  a  new  world.  Our  revolutionary 
fathers  were  men  of  prayer.  They  made  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  "  with  a  firm  reliance  on  the  Protection  of  Divine 
Providence."  Our  immortal  Washington  leaned  on  the  divine 
arm  for  wisdom  and  strength.    When  our  beloved  Lincoln 


326 


Duties 


knew  that  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  begun  he  spent  the  whole 
night  in  prayer  in  conformity  with  his  habit  of  prayer  for  the 
success  of  a  cause  that  involved  the  interests  of  Christ's  Kingdom 
among  men.  Yes,  every  great  movement  in  the  history  of  the 
church,  and  helpful  to  its  onward  progress,  has  been  born, 
nurtured,  and  accomplished  through  the  agency  of  prayer. 
This  great  movement  toward  the  unification  of  the  churches 
can  prosper  and  succeed  only  as  a  child  of  prayer,  the  object 
of  constant  and  earnest  pleading  before  the  throne  of  grace. 

Now  praying  for  the  unity  of  the  churches  has  not  been  very 
prevalent  among  Christian  people.  Ministers  too  seldom  make 
it  a  matter  of  earnest  supplication.  It  is  not  a  thing  that  can 
be  specially  noted  in  the  prayers  of  any  assembly  of  worshippers. 
While  it  is  worthy,  in  imitation  of  our  Lord's  example,  of  our 
most  serious  thought  and  earnest  entreaty,  it  fails  to  find  a  place 
in  our  desires  and  to  be  expressed  as  a  special  longing  of  our 
hearts.  Ministers,  laymen,  the  whole  body  of  Christian  people, 
are  very  generally  at  fault  in  reference  to  this  matter.  But 
there  are  some  who  have  realized  the  place  and  importance  of 
such  prayer  and  have  been  calling  upon  ministers  and  people  to 
pray  for  this  cause.  Dr.  Frederick  Courtney  pleads  in  the 
following  manner  for  such  prayer: 

"  Now  will  you  let  me  ask  you  to  do  one  thing?  Pray  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ's  prayer.  Say  it  every  day  of  your  life  from 
this  time  on.  '  O  God  grant  that  they  all  may  be  one  ' —  only 
don't  say  they.  Say  tve  — '  Grant  that  we  all  may  be  one  as 
thou  Father  art  in  Christ  and  Christ  in  thee,  that  we  may  be 
one  in  Him,  that  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou  didst  send 
Him.'  Will  you  pray  that  prayer  every  day  of  j'our  life  from 
this  time  on  and  look  out  for  the  answer?  And  if  you  do  that 
you  will  see  the  beginning  of  the  answer  all  over  the  world. 
And  try  and  find  out  what  is  being  done  by  all  these  different 
portions  of  the  church  of  Christ,  representatives  of  which  you 


Prayer  and  Supplication 


327 


are  to  hear  from  in  the  next  six  Sunday  evenings.  Put  the 
whole  thing  together  and  think  about  it.  Do  you  remember 
that  little  poem  in  the  '  Changed  Cross  '  and  '  Other  Poems  ' 
called  '  Watching '  which  describes  the  Christian  from  whom 
Christ  goes  away,  and  the  angel  comes  to  her  in  the  house  and 
says,  '  The  work  and  the  watching  will  be  verj'  sweet,  even  in 
an  earthly  home,  and  in  an  hour  that  ye  think  not  He  will 
come '  ?  The  work  and  the  watching  of  the  church  of  Christ 
will  be  very  sweet  .  .  .  and  in  an  hour  that  je  think  not  it 
will  come."  (Address  Mount  Morris  Baptist  Church,  New 
York  City.) 

The  Rev.  Professor  G.  A.  Johnston  Ross  has  seen  the  signifi- 
cance of  such  praying  and  offers  the  following  suggestions: 

"  In  public  prayer  ought  there  not  to  be  more  frequent  and, 
if  I  may  so  say,  better  regulated  prayer  for  denominations  other 
than  one's  own  ?  In  England  I  have  heard  Anglicans  express 
again  and  again  their  amazement  that  I  prayed  in  my  church  for 
the  ancient  church  of  England.  Surely  it  should  not  be  a 
matter  of  surprise  that  the  ministers  of  one  denomination 
should  pray  for  the  work  of  other  denominations.  And  doubt- 
less this  is  at  present  frequently  done.  But  my  suggestion  is 
that  from  authorities  of  the  various  churches  should  issue  of- 
ficial recommendations  upon  this  point,  and,  if  possible,  accom- 
panied by  permissive  forms  of  prayer,  in  order  that  as  far  as  is 
consistent  with  the  traditions  and  usages  of  non-liturgical 
churches  there  should  be  uniformity  of  content  of  these 
prayers." 

In  the  appeal  for  prayer  which  Tennyson  presents  in  his 
Idyls  of  the  King  it  is  no  vain  imagination,  but  one  that  is  full 
of  encouragement  and  inspiration,  to  suppose  that  it  is  the  voice 
of  unity  that  speaks  and  says: 

"  More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreams  of.    Wherefore,  let  thy  voice 


328 


Duties 


Rise  like  a  fountain  for  me  night  and  day. 

For  what  are  men  better  than  sheep  or  goats, 

That  nourish  a  blind  life  within  the  brain 

If,  knowing  God,  they  lift  not  hands  of  prayer, 

Both  for  themselves  and  those  who  call  them  friend? 

For  so  the  whole  round  earth  is  every  way 

Bound  by  gold  chains  about  the  feet  of  God." 

As  helpful  to  the  right  spirit  of  prayer  for  the  cause  of  unity 
Coleridge  (The  Ancient  Mariner)  has  some  lines  full  of  sug- 
gestion : 

"  He  prayeth  best  who  loveth  best 
All  things  both  great  and  small: 

For  the  dear  Lord  who  loveth  us 
He  made  and  loveth  all." 

These  other  lines  of  Coleridge  are  fitting  to  be  used  in  special 
application  to  the  cause  of  unity,  when  he  says: 

"  Be  not  afraid  to  pray  —  to  pray  is  right, 
Pray  if  thou  canst  with  hope ;  but  ever  pray, 
Though  hope  be  weak  or  sick  with  long  delay: 
Pray  in  the  darkness,  if  there  be  no  light. 
Pray  to  be  perfect,  though  material  leaven 
Forbid  the  spirit  so  on  earth  to  be; 
But  if  for  any  wish  thou  darest  not  pray, 
Then  pray  to  God  to  cast  that  wish  away." 

The  example  of  Jesus  in  praying  for  the  unity  of  His  church 
ought  to  be  inspiring  to  all  His  followers.  If  He  is  to  be  re- 
garded as  our  great  Exemplar  in  all  things  it  must  include  such 
prayer.  Obedience  to  His  example  has  kindred  importance  with 
obedience  to  His  commands,  and  if  we  love  Him  we  will  both 
keep  His  commandments  and  follow  His  example.  He  was 
exceedingly  much  interested  in  the  question  of  unity  as  is  evident 
from  His  prayer  on  its  behalf.  As  His  true  followers  it  is  most 
fitting  that  we  should  be  deeply  interested  in  this  movement 


Prayer  and  Supplication 


329 


and  pray  for  its  success.  Few  of  His  prayers  have  been  pre- 
served, but  this  one  has  been  kept  on  record  for  our  guidance 
and  inspiration  along  this  line.  If  we  were  anything  like  as 
anxious  for  unity  as  He  was,  and  is,  it  would  have  a  more 
prominent  place  in  our  thoughts,  feelings,  and  petitions.  If  we 
are  following  Him  at  all  along  this  line,  we  are  following  "  afar 
off."  Why  do  we  fail  in  giving  it  due  prominence  in  our 
prayers?  Is  it  not  because  the  spirit  of  unity  and  the  spirit  of 
Christ  is  defective  and  wanting  in  our  hearts?  Shall  we  not 
henceforth  in  obedience  to  the  example  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
give  this  cause  a  higher  place  in  our  desires  and  our  petitions? 
His  example  surely  makes  it  a  worthy  object  of  our  strongest 
desires  and  of  our  most  earnest  supplications. 

God's  ancient  people  were  taught  by  the  Psalmist  in  the 
I22d  psalm  to  pray  for  unity  when  he  gave  them  such  words 
as  these  to  sing: 

"  How  beautiful  doth  Zion  stand, 

A  city  built  compact  and  fair; 
The  people  of  the  Lord  unite 

With  joy  and  praise  to  worship  there. 
They  come  to  learn  the  will  of  God, 

To  pay  their  vows,  His  grace  to  own, 
For  there  is  judgment's  royal  seat, 

Messiah's  sure  and  lasting  throne. 
For  Zion's  peace  let  prayer  be  made; 

May  all  that  love  thee  prosper  well; 
W^ithin  thy  walls  let  peace  abide. 

And  gladness  with  thy  children  dwell." 

Through  all  the  centuries  since  it  was  penned,  as  this  song 
has  been  used  by  the  people  of  God,  its  appeal  and  inspiration  to 
pray  for  the  unity  and  peace  of  the  church  has  sounded  forth, 
and  doubtless  it  has  often  been  recognized  as  a  call  to  prayer 
by  those  who  have  used  it  as  a  song  of  praise.  Many  of  the 
psalms  exalt  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  a  universal  Kingdom  in 


330 


Duties 


which  all  the  nations  shall  come  together  in  one  body,  and  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  and  the  apostles  supports  this  ideal. 

Prayer  for  unity  is  specially  in  order  because  of  the  greatness 
of  this  movement.  While  every  good  cause,  whether  small  or 
great,  is  worthy  of  our  earnest  prayers,  great  causes  are  espe- 
cially so.  This  movement  toward  greater  unity  is  surely  a  great 
movement.  It  is  great  in  its  ideals.  It  is  great  in  its  aims  and 
motives,  in  its  plans  and  purposes,  and  in  its  hopes  and  aspira- 
tions. It  is  great  in  the  vast  multitudes  of  people  it  is  intended 
to  embrace.  It  is  great  in  the  number  and  strength  of  the  de- 
nominations it  will  include.  It  is  great  in  the  number  and 
influence  of  the  educational  and  eleemosynary  institutions  which 
will  be  more  closely  united  in  their  respective  fields  of  activity. 
It  is  great  in  the  changes  of  administration  which  it  will  bring 
about.  It  is  great  in  the  modification  of  forms  of  worship, 
of  rites  and  ceremonies  which  are  sure  to  follow.  It  will  affect 
the  whole  body  of  Christian  people  everywhere.  It  contem- 
plates the  binding  together  in  one  brotherhood  the  whole  human 
race.  It  is  indeed  so  great  a  movement  in  its  ideals  and  ultimate 
aims  that  some  cannot  believe  it  ever  possible.  Prayer  helps 
men  to  realize  that  what  is  impossible  with  men  is  yet  possible 
with  God.  Prayer  is  the  fitting  expression  of  the  sense  of  need 
of  that  guidance  and  help  which  God  alone  is  able  to  bestow. 

We  have  lately  been  praying  very  earnestly  for  our  country 
and  our  allies  in  their  great  movement  on  behalf  of  justice, 
liberty,  and  the  rights  and  welfare  of  the  common  people.  At 
the  request  of  Congress  our  President  appointed  a  day  for  the 
united  prayer  of  the  whole  body  of  our  people  for  the  success 
of  the  great  movement  upon  which  we  have  entered,  and  we  are 
expected  to  continue  our  supplications  for  this  end  until  victory 
is  gained.  It  certainly  is  right  that  we  should  do  so  with  all 
our  hearts.  But  here  is  another  great  movement  —  even  greater 
than  the  cause  of  the  allies.    It  is  a  movement  also  in  the  cause 


Prayer  and  Supplication 


331 


of  justice,  righteousness,  liberty,  and  the  rights  and  welfare  of 
the  masses  of  mankind.  It  is  a  movement  directly  pertaining  to 
the  coming  of  Christ's  kingdom  on  the  earth.  It  is  a  movement 
whose  possibilities  for  good  to  all  humanity  are  incompre- 
hensibly great.  Prayer  for  this  movement  is  important  be- 
cause of  the  relation  of  the  movement  to  the  coming  of  God's 
kingdom,  for  which  Christ  taught  us  to  pray.  The  perfected 
unity  of  His  followers  was  designated  by  Him  as  the  evidence  by 
which  the  world  shall  be  persuaded  that  He  has  a  right  to  the 
government  and  control  of  that  kingdom.  Our  love  for  Him 
as  our  Lord  and  Master  and  our  desires  that  He  receive  all  due 
honor  as  the  Head  of  the  church  and  as  the  Supreme  Ruler  of 
God's  kingdom  on  the  earth  ought  to  be  strong  enough  to 
constrain  us  to  pray  earnestly  and  importunately  for  the  growth 
and  more  perfect  manifestation  of  this  unity.  Knowing  that 
perfection  of  unity  is  a  necessary  condition  for  the  full  appear- 
ance of  Christ's  kingdom  among  men  we  surely  ought  to  make 
the  cause  of  unity  one  of  the  special  objects  for  which  we 
pray.  From  this  time  forth  shall  we  not  do  so?  Let  us  put  it 
on  our  prayer  lists  as  a  subject  of  daily  prayer. 


PERFECTING  OF  LOVE 


'HE  commandment  of  Jesus  to  "  be  perfect  "  has  special 


reference  to  Christian  love.  This  was  the  particular  sub- 
ject under  consideration  when  He  first  announced  our  obliga- 
tion in  this  matter.  Just  a  little  before,  He  had  laid  down  the 
law  of  love  to  enemies  and  had  gone  on  to  show  that  the  Father 
observes  this  law  in  the  treatment  of  His  enemies,  and  that  His 
disciples  should  be  more  perfect  in  love  than  publicans  or 
gentiles.  Following  His  announcement  of  this  law  of  love  to 
enemies  and  His  arguments  to  impress  its  importnace.  He  says 
"  Ye  therefore  shall  be  perfect  as  your  Heavenly  Father  is  per- 


"  God  is  love."  This  is  the  greatest  and  most  important  of 
all  His  attributes,  and  to  be  perfect  in  love  is  to  be  like  God. 
To  be  His  children  is  to  possess  His  image  and  His  spirit,  and 
therefore  to  have  our  hearts  permeated  with  love.  Our  per- 
fection as  His  children  depends  upon  the  fullness  and  the  rich- 
ness of  the  love  that  dwells  within  us.  It  is  worthy  of  our 
particular  notice  that  our  perfection  as  Christians  does  not  de- 
pend so  much  upon  our  knowledge,  or  our  faith,  or  our  good 
works,  as  it  does  upon  the  kind  of  love  that  dwells  in  our 
hearts.  This  is  certainly  suggested  by  the  fact  that  our 
Savior's  requirement  of  us  to  be  perfect  after  the  example  of 
our  Heavenly  Father  is  thus  coupled  with  His  law  of  love  for 
our  obedience.  That  our  possession  of  love  is  more  important 
than  these  other  things,  however  useful  and  necessary  they  may 
be,  is  also  forcibly  shown  by  the  Apostle  Paul  when  he  de- 
clares: "If  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels, 
but  have  not  love,  I  am  become  sounding  brass,  or  a  clanging 
cymbal.    And  if  I  have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  know  all 


feet."    (Matt.  5:48.) 


33a 


Perfecting  of  Love 


333 


mysteries  and  all  knowledge:  and  if  I  have  all  faith,  so  as  to 
remove  mountains,  but  have  not  love,  I  am  nothing.  And  if  I 
bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and  if  I  give  my  body  to 
be  burned,  but  have  not  love,  it  profiteth  me  nothing."  ( i  Cor. 
13:  1-3.)  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  this  statement  concerning 
the  essential  importance  of  love  is  presented  by  the  apostle  in 
his  argument  and  appeal  to  the  Corinthian  church  against  the 
divisions  which  had  arisen  in  it,  and  is  given  as  a  panacea  for 
such  divisions.  The  more  perfect  Christians  are  in  love  the 
more  desirous  they  become  that  the  divisions  of  the  church 
should  be  healed.  The  disposition  to  promote  or  perpetuate 
these  divisions,  is  proof  that  love  is  yet  far  from  being  perfect. 
It  is  the  special  duty  of  Christians  to  cherish  and  perfect  that 
love  which  heals  divisions  and  removes  their  cause.  A  high 
sense  of  its  importance  will  help  them  so  to  do. 

The  objects  to  be  loved  are  very  frequently  present  in  our 
lives  and  the  more  we  love  them  the  more  we  are  capable  of 
loving  them.  This  is  a  case  where  spending  makes  one  rich. 
From  infancy  to  old  age  this  life  is  full  of  opportunities  and 
occasions  to  practice  love,  and  a  valuable  school  for  its  devel- 
opment. We  do  not  need  great  occasions  to  practice  it.  There 
are  many  opportunities  to  exercise  it  in  the  walks  of  daily  life, 
demands  upon  it  which  come  in  a  thousand  different  forms. 
There  are  very  frequent  experiences  which  severely  test  its 
character  in  us,  revealing  its  weaknesses,  while  tending  to  culti- 
vate it  and  train  it  toward  perfection. 

To  become  perfect  in  love  it  is  necessary  to  be  humble.  Love 
and  pride  are  not  compatible  with  each  other.  This  was  re- 
alized by  Dr.  Norman  McLeod  (Love  the  Fulfilling  of  the 
Law),  when  he  wrote  "  I  cry  to  God  daily  for  humility  to  love 
all,  and  to  feel  that  I  am  saved  as  a  sinner,  who,  as  such,  must 
have  disgusted  the  angels.  Our  pride  is  devilish,  and  when  I 
know  how  much  better  many  of  those  who  repel  me  arc  than  I 


334 


Duties 


am,  or  ever  have  been,  I  am  ashamed  of  my  pride,  and  that  I  can- 
not clasp  them  to  my  heart.  .  .  .  We  must  truly  love  our 
brother.  This  cannot  be  done  by  any  rules.  We  must  live 
more  truly,  more  earnestly  tovi^ard  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  for 
just  as  we  love  Him  we  shall  love  our  brother  and  such  love  will 
become  a  holy  intuition  that  will  ever  prompt  us  to  feel  and  act 
aright." 

Perfection  of  love  toward  God  and  man  is  perfection  of  char- 
acter and  life  for  the  individual  and  for  the  church.  It  is  the 
life  which  God  lives.  It  is  the  life  of  the  holy  angels  and  of 
all  the  perfected  children  of  God.  It  is  the  means  of  bringing 
heaven  down  to  earth.  It  is  the  seed  plot  of  all  the  Christian 
virtues.  It  is  the  tree  which  stands  by  the  River  of  Life,  bears 
twelve  manner  of  fruit,  and  whose  leaves  are  for  the  healing 
of  churches.  It  is  a  beam  of  light  from  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness whose  analysis  is  given  and  described  by  the  Apostle  Paul 
in  First  Corinthians,  the  thirteenth.  This  analysis  of  love  is 
thus  discussed  by  Henry  Drummond  (The  Greatest  Thing 
in  the  World)  :  "  Love  is  a  compound  thing  Paul  tells  us. 
It  is  like  light.  As  you  have  seen  a  man  of  science  take  a  beam 
of  light  and  pass  it  through  a  crystal  prism,  as  you  have  seen 
it  come  out  on  the  other  side  of  the  prism  broken  up  into  its 
component  colors  —  red,  and  blue,  and  yellow,  and  violet,  and 
orange  and  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  —  so  Paul  passes  this 
thing,  love,  through  the  magnificent  prism  of  his  inspired  in- 
tellect, and  it  comes  out  on  the  other  side  broken  up  into  its 
elements.  And  in  these  few  words  we  have  what  one  might 
call  the  spectrum  of  love,  the  analysis  of  love.  Will  you  ob- 
serve what  its  elements  are?  Will  you  notice  that  they  have 
common  names;  that  they  are  virtues  which  we  hear  about  every 
day;  that  they  are  things  which  can  be  practiced  by  every 
man  in  every  place  in  life;  and  how  by  a  multitude  of 


Perfecting  of  Love 


335 


small  things  and  ordinary  virtues,  the  supreme  thing,  the 
summum  bonum,  is  made  up?  " 

Above  all  things  should  Christians  strive  for  an  increase  of 
their  love,  the  sovereign  element  in  their  religious  character. 
It  strengthens  faith,  enlarges  hope  and  gives  strength  and 
vitality  to  every  other  Christian  grace,  and  great  power  and 
possibility  to  life.  Rev.  E.  S.  Atwood  in  realization  of  its  im- 
portance has  said  (Sermons  by  The  Monday  Club,  1879): 
"  The  man  of  the  world  calls  love  a  mere  sentiment,  the  ques- 
tionable virtue  of  weak  souls.  But  Christian  love  is  flower, 
flame,  force,  life,  all  in  one.  Unobtrusive  itself,  it  pushes  into 
strength  and  beauty  all  the  great  excellences  of  character.  In 
the  conservatory,  they  show  you  a  plain,  unadorned  plant,  that 
makes  no  claim  for  admiration  in  form  or  color;  but  when  its 
term  of  ripeness  has  come,  in  the  shadows  of  the  night,  it  clothes 
itself  with  the  royal  apparelling  of  blossom,  and  breathes  out  an 
aflluence  of  fragrance  that  puts  the  rose  and  the  lily  to  shame. 
So  Christian  love,  making  no  boast,  nor  thrusting  itself  upon 
notice,  feeds  in  secret  and  in  silence  every  great  and  good  at- 
tainment of  the  soul,  and  at  last  opens  the  splendid  blossoms 
that  shine,  white  and  star-like,  in  the  darkness  that  enwraps  all 
the  other  accomplishments  of  men.  It  is  the  one  thing  worth 
the  striving  for  and  the  getting.  Whatever  else  we  miss,  let 
us  make  ourselves  masters  of  this  love,  for  love  is  of  God,  and 
God  and  love  inhabit  the  eternities." 

Rev.  Principal  Alexander  White,  D.D.,  while  striving  to 
promote  the  cause  of  union  in  Scotland,  has  pointed  out  the 
relation  of  love  to  the  securing  and  establishing  of  complete 
unity  among  Christian  brethren  in  the  following  manner  (Ser- 
mon on  Church  Union)  :  "  Now  out  of  all  sight,  the  principal 
truth  of  all  ages  of  the  church,  and  never  more  so  than  in  our 
own  age,  is  brotherly  love,  and  close  communion  between  belicv 


336 


Duties 


ing  brethren.  And  thus  everything  that  makes  for  brotherly 
love  and  for  close  communion  between  believing  brethren  should 
surely  take  the  foremost  place  among  our  immediate  duties  and 
endeavors.  And,  again,  everything  that  in  any  way  endangers, 
or  hinders  such  brotherly  love  and  such  close  communion  is 
surely  to  be  avoided  and  escaped  at,  I  will  say,  almost  any 
cost.  .  .  .  Now,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  in  those  present  temptations 
the  door  of  escape  is  the  door  of  union  between  believing 
brethren.  For,  when  once  we  enter  that  door,  we  shall  no  more 
think  evil  of  one  another,  as  we  have  so  often  been  tempted  to 
do,  nor  rejoice  in  the  ills  that  befall  one  another,  nor  grudge 
at  the  good  of  one  another  as  we  have  not  always  escaped  the 
temptation  to  do.  And  if  our  best  charity  will  sometimes  fail 
in  our  intercourse  with  one  another  even  after  the  union,  at 
any  rate  that  greatest  of  all  the  graces  will  then  have  a  far 
better  soil  in  which  to  stand,  and  a  far  better  sunshine  in  which 
to  bear  its  fruits,  than  it  has  had  for  many  a  day  in  Scotland.^ 
Charles  Gray  Shaw  has  expressed  our  duty  in  the  perfecting 
of  this  love  in  such  words  as  these:  (Address,  Mt.  Morris 
Baptist  Church,  N.  Y.)  :  "To  effect  that  unity  which  seems 
all  but  lost  to  us  in  the  complexity  of  modern  life  we  can  do 
no  better  than  insist  upon  the  perennial  principle  of  love, 
however  trite  such  a  suggestion  may  seem.  But  does  the 
common-place  insistence  upon  human  charity  have  the  effect 
of  sounding  the  depths  where  this  supreme  sentiment  lies  buried? 
There  is  a  kind  of  human  love  which  soon  exhausts  itself  in 
helpful  service,  but  such  a  practical  sentiment  does  not  convey 
us  onward  and  upward  to  the  latitudes  of  the  midnight  sun. 
Our  usual  conception  of  love  is  often  confused  with  a  Jewish 
love  of  neighbor,  a  British  altruism,  an  American  helpfulness, 
peculiar  to  the  West.  But  there  is  another  kind  of  love,  known 
as  it  was  to  Gautama  Buddha,  when  he  found  the  unity  of 
spiritual  contemplation  and  human  compassion.    This  extra 


Perfecting  of  Love 


337 


love  appears  again  and  more  clearly  in  St.  John  who  assures 
us  that  only  as  we  love  man  can  we  know  God.  We  see  it  again 
in  Dostoevsky  when  in  '  Crime  and  Punishment,'  the  wretched 
hero  says  to  the  suffering  heroine,  '  I  bow  down,  not  before 
you,  but  before  suffering  humanity  exemplified  in  your  person.' 
Upon  the  basis  of  Buddhistic,  Christian,  Russian  compassion, 
provoked  as  this  was  by  the  perception  that  our  human  plight 
is  a  profound  one,  it  may  be  possible,  should  be  possible,  to 
establish  the  unity  of  faith.  In  such  compassionism  the  key  to 
the  full  mvstery  of  life  seems  to  be  found ;  for  in  the  act  of 
loving  man,  the  soul  gains  insight  into  the  nature  of  God :  like 
Parsival,  the  soul  is  '  by  pity  enlightened.'  To  affect  perfect 
unity  the  individual  must  cr>',  'More  light!  More  light!' 
To  have  more  light  he  must  have  more  love." 

The  perfecting  of  our  love  is  wrought  in  a  special  way  by 
broadening  and  extending  it.  Its  great  fault  very  often  is  the 
narrowness  of  its  limitations.  We  find  it  difficult  to  love  as 
broadly  and  extensively  as  we  ought.  Our  great  temptation  is 
to  love  ourselves  too  much  and  to  love  others  only  in  their  bene- 
ficial relationship  to  ourselves.  We  naturally  love  ourselves 
first  and  most.  But  we  learn  to  love  others  who  are  near  to 
us  in  the  intercourse,  associations  and  fellowship  of  daily  life, 
and  this  love  is  strengthened  as  we  come  to  recognize  our  mutual 
tastes,  aims,  and  aspiration,  with  them  in  life's  activities.  Our 
love  given  at  first  to  individuals  becomes  broadened  and  ex- 
tended as  we  come  to  recognize  the  group  formations  and  ideals 
to  which  these  individuals  belong.  We  learn  to  love  the  group 
through  our  affection  for  some  of  the  individuals  of  which  it  is 
composed.  This  group  becomes  to  us  an  ideal  group  in  dis- 
tinction from  the  actual  membership  of  which  it  is  composed. 
Tht  love  of  home  is  the  love  of  certain  persons;  but,  it  is  more 
than  that :  it  is  love  of  an  ideal  institution  composed  of  these 
persons,  or  a  similar  group  of  persons  anywhere.    Our  love  for 


338 


Duties 


the  community  in  which  we  live  is  distinct  from  the  affection 
which  we  may  have  toward  any  of  our  neighbors,  and  has  rela- 
tion to  the  character  and  welfare  of  the  whole  group  of  which  it 
is  composed.  Our  love  of  country  is  our  affection  for  a  larger 
group  than  our  community,  county,  or  state,  and  to  this  larger 
group  belong  all  our  national  ideals  and  aspirations.  Patri- 
otism binds  us  soul  and  body  to  this  larger  group  and  makes 
us  ready  for  sacrifice  on  its  behalf.  Love  for  the  church 
is  a  specific  kind  of  group  affection.  It  began  with  some 
small  group  in  a  class  of  the  Bible  school,  or  in  some 
special  club  or  society  of  the  church,  and  afterward  became  ex- 
tended to  the  whole  congregation  as  a  distinct  body  of  Christian 
people,  and  then  to  other  congregations  and  churches  which  we 
have  come  to  know  and  appreciate.  Thus  our  love  has  been 
broadened  and  extended  from  group  to  group  until  the  circum- 
ference of  its  range  has  been  greatly  widened. 

These  broader  affections  constitute  a  greater  and  more  perfect 
love  than  belongs  to  our  narrower  emotions.  It  is  a  much 
greater  and  better  development  of  our  emotional  nature  to  love 
one's  country  than  to  love  one's  town,  county,  or  state.  It  is 
not  only  more  comprehensive,  but  also  more  ideal  and  more 
rational.  Our  government  is  placing  emphasis  these  days  upon 
the  superior  nature  and  claims  of  this  broader  love.  It  is  mak- 
ing very  explicit  the  fact  that  our  country's  claim  on  our  af- 
fections is  greater  than  that  of  any  lesser  group.  It  visits  with 
severe  penalties  those  who  resist  its  authority  and  ignore  its 
claims  upon  their  affections  and  their  loyalty  to  its  service. 
Our  government  has  the  right  to  impose  such  pen- 
alties on  the  ground  that  love  of  country  is  better,  more 
perfect,  and  more  important  than  many  other  kinds  of  love. 
This  love  and  loyalty  are  also  urged  on  the  ground  of  our 
national  ideals  in  relation  to  the  present  war,  which  include 
the  higher  interests  and  welfare  of  the  whole  human  race. 


Perfecting  of  Love 


339 


Thus  there  comes  to  us  through  our  national  ideals,  and  there 
is  urged  upon  us  by  their  demands,  the  conception  and  inspira- 
tion of  a  love  as  broad  as  humanity.  We  honor  those  as  worthy 
and  possessed  of  noble  character  whose  love  of  country  and  its 
ideals  for  all  mankind  are  such  as  to  make  manifest  their  loyalty 
and  willingness  to  make  the  greatest  sacrifices  for  their  coun- 
try's cause  and  the  good  of  every  people.  Their  love  is  a 
broadened,  extended  and  great  affection,  a  noble  and  superior 
emotion. 

Love  for  the  church  in  its  broader  aspects  is  close  akin  to  love 
of  country  and  its  ideals.  As  love  of  country  indicates  a 
greater  and  more  perfect  affection  than  mere  love  of  town, 
county,  or  state,  so  does  the  love  of  the  entire  body  of  Christian 
believers  indicate  a  greater  and  more  perfect  affection  than  the 
mere  love  for  one's  own  congregation  or  denomination,  or  even 
family  of  denominations.  It  is  not  only  more  comprehensive 
but  more  ideal  and  more  rational.  It  is  a  love  that  sees  more 
clearly  the  good  qualities  that  all  Christian  people  have  in 
common.  It  sees  more  clearly  the  possibilities  of  growth  and 
high  excellence  in  all.  It  brings  into  use  the  noblest  and 
highest  power  of  the  faculty  of  reason,  and  leads  to  comparisons 
of  greatest  worth  rather  than  of  infirmities.  It  causes  the 
mind  to  think  most  charitably  of  all.  It  impels  the  will  to 
choose  the  greatest  good  of  all.  This  broadened  and  extended 
love  is  preeminently  Christian  because  it  is  an  emotion  toward 
those  who  have  accepted  Christ  as  their  Savior,  and  is  Christlikc 
in  its  nature.  He  loved  the  church  and  gave  Himself  for  it. 
He  established  His  church  as  a  most  important  channel  through 
which  this  broadened  love  of  His  and  theirs  might  flow.  The 
church's  greatest  need  to-day  is  the  perfecting  of  our  love  so  as 
to  embrace  the  whole  family  of  God. 

The  reasonableness  of  this  great  love  is  indicated  by  the  very 
word  of  Scripture  by  which  it  is  expressed.    Of  the  two  words 


340 


Duties 


in  Greek  expressing  love  the  one  expressing  rational  love  is  the 
one  used  to  indicate  our  duty.  The  very  word  chosen  shows 
that  every  faculty  of  soul  which  we  possess  must  be  in  full 
exercise  when  this  love  is  going  forth.  Our  intelligence  is 
needed  to  discover  and  judge  rightly  the  worth  and  excellence 
of  the  object  to  be  loved.  Our  wills  are  necessary  to  make 
effective  the  affection  of  which  these  objects  are  worthy.  This 
kind  of  love  is  better  than  a  love  that  is  merely  emotional, 
impulsive,  spasmodic.  It  is  more  enduring  because  it  has  vision 
and  purpose  as  well  as  feeling.  It  is  more  perfect  because  its 
proper  and  full  exercise  depend  upon  the  best  exercise  of  every 
mental  and  moral  facult}^  which  we  possess.  It  is  the  kind  of 
love  most  like  the  love  of  God  our  Father,  and  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior. 

This  is  the  kind  of  love  in  which  we,  the  people  of  the  church, 
have  been  ver>'  defective.  Our  affections  have  gone  out  with 
much  vigor  to  the  narrower  groups,  but  with  very  limited 
strength  toward  the  larger  group,  the  whole  body  of  Christ's 
people.  We  have  been  very  devoted  to  the  supposed  interests 
of  our  congregations  and  denominations  and  taken  comparatively 
little  interest  in  the  work  of  all  the  other  churches.  Our 
religious  emotions  have  been  sadly  limited  by  the  narrowness  of 
our  spiritual  vision  and  ecclesiastical  ideals,  and  our  vision  has 
in  turn  been  narrow  and  our  ideals  hampered  because  our  hearts 
are  narrow  and  self-centered.  For  our  individual  growth  in 
grace  and  our  personal  development  in  Christian  character  we 
need  specially  a  greater  distribution  and  coordination  of  our 
religious  emotions  in  relation  to  that  group  of  Christians  which 
embraces  the  whole  body  of  believers. 

The  perfecting  of  love  includes  also  the  strengthening  of 
its  intensity.  Our  Christian  love  should  be  more  vigorous  than 
it  generally  is  as  well  as  broader.  Emotions  like  muscles  need 
frequent  and  vigorous  exercise  to  make  them  strong.    Our  real 


Perfecting  of  Love 


341 


religious  affections  are  generally  weak  from  want  of  exercise. 
We  do  not  feel  as  strongly  along  really  religious  lines  as  we  do 
along  some  others.  Our  affections  for  the  church  are  easily 
and  readily  disturbed.  Many  of  us  do  not  love  the  church  and 
religion  religiously  as  we  love  the  world  worldly,  and  are 
tempted  to  love  even  the  church  more  worldly  than  religiously. 
Here  is  a  group  of  affections  that  need  especially  to  be  strength- 
ened and  developed  to  insure  the  full  development  of  our 
Christian  character.  The  proper  development  of  these  broad 
affections  toward  the  church  in  its  largest  and  widest  aspect  is 
especially  necessary  for  the  more  complete  rounding  out  of  our 
spiritual  manhood  and  womanhood.  We  can  do  nothing  better 
for  our  spiritual  progress  and  enlargement  than  to  let  our  love 
flow  out  with  all  its  force,  and  express  itself  with  holiest  long- 
ings and  tenderest  sympathies,  toward  the  whole  body  of  Chris- 
tian believers  as  the  living  body  of  the  living  Christ. 

But  this  cannot  be  done  without  aim  and  effort.  The 
intellect  and  will  have  much  to  do  with  the  development  of 
right  afYections.  Mind,  heart,  and  will,  act  and  react  upon 
each  other,  and  in  relation  to  each  other,  in  every  phase  of 
spiritual  progress.  The  attainment  of  more  perfect  love  is 
possible  when  clear  and  earnest  thought  is  given  to  the  ideal 
of  a  united  Christian  church,  and  a  purpose  is  formed  and  fixed 
to  cherish  that  ideal.  The  place  of  the  will  in  the  culture  of 
the  intellect  has  long  been  recognized,  but  scarcely  thought  of 
in  regard  to  the  emotions.  However,  its  relation  to  mind  and 
heart  are  essentially  the  same.  As  the  mind  is  developed  by  the 
power  of  will  so  is  the  heart.  The  way  one  makes  up  his 
mind  to  love  a  certain  object  has  very  much  to  do  with  the 
kind  and  degree  of  affection  it  shall  receive.  Let  us  then  make 
up  our  minds  to  love  the  church  —  the  whole  church  —  after 
the  manner  of  Christ's  love  for  it.  Let  us  seek  to  perfect  our 
love  by  giving  it  a  wider  range  and  greater  intensity.  Our 


342 


Duties 


visioning  in  the  broad  field  of  a  united  church  will  insure 
our  personal  growth  in  grace  and  our  influence  and  help  in 
promoting  the  unification  of  the  churches. 


STRESSING  COMMUNITY  WELFARE 


HE  duty  of  every  Christian  citizen  to  his  community 


X  arises,  in  the  first  place,  from  its  relation  to  his  own  wel- 
fare. He  is  so  bound  up  with  it  in  the  bundle  of  life  that  he 
will  both  affect  its  character  and  be  affected  by  it.  A  good  com- 
munity will  help  him  live  a  righteous  life  and  grow  in  Christian 
manhood ;  an  evil  community  will  hinder  his  aims  and  efforts  at 
doing  right  and  put  forth  a  strong  influence  against  his  best 
moral  and  spiritual  development.  His  personal  well-being  de- 
pends in  no  small  degree  upon  his  immediate  surroundings  in 


Again,  his  duty  to  his  community  arises  from  its  relation  to  his 
family's  welfare.  Every  man's  responsibility  to  his  own 
family  is  very  great.  He  is  under  special  obligation  to  seek  its 
highest  good  in  every  possible  way.  He  needs  the  influence  and 
help  of  every  good  agency  within  his  reach.  His  family  will  be 
much  affected  by  the  social  contact  of  its  surroundings.  He 
may  try  to  escape,  or  overcome  the  evil  effects  of  such  contact 
in  a  bad  community  but  can  never  fully  succeed.  The  harmful 
influence  of  evil  associations  outside  the  home  has  often 
wrought  its  ruin.  The  welfare  of  every  home  depends  in  no 
small  degree  upon  the  moral  character  of  the  community  by 
which  it  is  surrounded.  If  it  be  a  community  where  high  ideals 
of  Christian  living  hold  sway,  it  will  give  strength  to  his  own 
character  and  help  him  in  the  development  of  his  home  life. 
It  is  very  evident  that  the  character  of  the  community  in  which 
a  man  lives  and  keeps  his  family  is  an  exceedingly  important 
matter  to  every  man  who  is  anxious  about  the  character  of  his 
home  and  the  highest  welfare  of  its  inmates. 

In  view  of  the  necessarily  intimate  and  reciprocal  relation 


life. 


343 


344 


Duties 


between  his  home  and  its  community  he  has  grave  responsibil- 
ities in  regard  to  the  welfare  of  that  community.  That  com- 
munity is  composed  of  all  the  people  who  live  in  the  same 
localit}',  are  subject  to  the  same  laws  and  civil  authority,  and 
have  kindred  and  interdependent  business  interests  and  social 
relations.  The  community  has  come  to  be  recognized  in  social 
science  as  the  social  unit  with  which  is  measured  all  social  in- 
terests and  affairs  among  men.  This  unit  enters  into  and 
constitutes  an  essential  element  in  all  calculations  in  regard 
to  social  questions  and  social  activities.  Frequent  reference  to 
the  community  by  a  great  host  of  writers  and  public  speakers 
shows  their  acceptance  of  the  community  as  the  recognized  unit 
of  social  life  in  all  its  varied  conditions  and  activities.  Ever)' 
movement  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  masses  is  always 
measured  by  its  relation  to  the  community  and  is  sought  to  be 
promoted  as  a  community  affair.  Since  the  nature  of  the 
community  as  the  social  unit  is  so  fully  recognized  in  the 
promotion  of  all  other  social  agencies,  it  ought  to  be  recognized 
by  ever}-  member  of  the  church  as  a  fundamental  thing  to  which 
the  church  is  vitally  related.  The  church  is  pre-eminently  a 
social  institution.  It  is  for  men  with  social  natures  and  ca- 
pacities, and  unites  them  in  social  worship,  fellowship,  and 
work.  The  recognition  of  the  communitj'  as  the  proper  unit  in 
which  its  purest  and  best  kind  of  social  fellowship  and  activity 
is  to  be  found,  has  deep  significance  to  the  church  and  marks 
the  measure  of  its  worth  and  power.  With  this  unit  in  mind 
it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  value  of  a  church  to  any  community'  de- 
pends very  much  upon  its  attitude  toward  the  whole  community 
in  which  it  is  located,  and  upon  its  strength  of  efFort  to  mould, 
build  up,  strengthen  and  develop  the  morals  of  that  community. 

The  duty  of  ever}-  Christian  to  stress  the  welfare  of  his 
community  is  readily  seen  in  its  relation  to  the  law  of  returns. 
This  law  was  clearly  stated  in  the  Scripture  which  says: 


Stressing  Community  W el j are 


345 


"  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap."  What 
a  man  gives  to  his  community  will  be  returned  by  it  in  kind  and 
degree.  The  moral  and  spiritual  ideals  and  inspiration  be- 
stowed by  him  on  it  will  be  returned  in  the  moral  and  spiritual 
benefit  he  shall  receive.  A  good  community  insures  the  very 
best  success  in  every  legitimate  and  beneficial  line  of  human 
enterprise.  Its  demands  are  for  the  things  of  greatest  benefit 
and  worth.  It  endeavors  to  satisfy  the  higher  and  better  wants 
of  men.  It  creates  conditions  favorable  to  the  truest  and  best 
success  in  worldly  avocations.  It  provides  the  best  conditions 
for  success  in  every  moral  and  spiritual  undertaking.  It  re- 
wards men  for  all  that  they  have  done  for  it  in  its  help  to  them 
in  building  up  good,  substantial,  prosperous  and  happy  homes. 
A  strong  moral  and  religious  community  provides  the  best  kind 
of  place  in  which  to  live,  do  business,  have  good  social  amenities, 
and  experience  the  richest  blessings  in  the  life  of  the  home. 

The  duty  of  every  Christian  to  stress  the  welfare  of  his  own 
community  is  seen  in  his  responsibilfty  as  a  neighbor.  His 
community  is  composed  of  his  neighbors  all  of  whom  he  is  to 
love  as  himself.  In  exercising  love  toward  them  he  will 
naturally  be  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which 
these  neighbors  live.  His  obedience  to  the  second  great  com- 
mandment will  begin  with  the  neighbor  who  is  near,  and  then 
extend  to  the  next  beyond,  and  so  on  and  on  until  the  farthest 
is  included.  In  the  light  of  this  great  commandment  and  the 
fact  that  the  community  is  the  recognized  unit  of  social  organ- 
ization and  effort,  it  is  seen  to  be  the  special  duty  of  every 
member  of  the  church  to  do  his  best  to  help  in  the  building  up 
of  his  own  community  into  a  strong,  helpful,  moral,  and  religious 
life  as  a  most  effective  means  of  doing  good  to  all  who  dwell 
within  its  bounds.  This  duty  is  also  certainly  imposed  by  the 
requirements  of  the  Golden  Rule,  and  is  surely  implied  in  the 
story  of  the  Good  Samaritan. 


346 


Duties 


The  example  of  the  early  Christians  also  imposes  this  duty. 
The  records  show  (Acts  2:41-47)  the  full  devotion  of  the 
first  converts  to  the  spirit  of  helpfulness  toward  one  another. 
The  spirit  of  their  conduct  is  significant  in  showing  the  initial 
attitude  of  the  church  in  its  readiness  to  help  the  group  of  people 
with  which  it  was  bound  up  in  the  bundle  of  life,  and  to  share 
responsibility  with  one  another  in  seeking  the  general  good. 
Paul  pointed  out  the  duty  of  Christians  to  their  communities 
when  he  wrote  "  Whether  therefore  ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatso- 
ever ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God."  (1  Cor.  10:31.) 
This  same  principle  of  giving  help  to  one's  community  is  also 
contained  in  his  exhortation  "  Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens, 
and  so  fulfill  the  law  of  Christ."  (Gal.  6:2.)  In  the  re- 
building of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  under  the  leadership  of 
Nehemiah  this  principle  was  recognized.  It  was  made  the  duty 
of  every  man  to  build  that  portion  of  the  wall  nearest  his  own 
home  in  joint  cooperation  with  his  neighbor  who  built  next  to 
him.  In  this  way  it  became  the  duty  of  each  citizen  to  join  in 
the  great  communal  effort  of  that  day. 

Assuredly  Christianity  is  much  more  than  a  personal  affair. 
It  involves  the  greater  interests  of  mankind  in  all  its  various 
groups  —  the  family,  the  community,  the  county,  the  state,  the 
nation,  the  world.  It  has  a  very  definite  and  important  work 
in  relation  to  all  social  conditions  and  forces  which  cannot  be 
overlooked  nor  ignored  without  great  injury  to  the  welfare 
of  each  of  these  groups.  Its  relation  to  the  welfare  of  the  fam- 
ily and  the  state  have  had  considerable  emphasis  in  times  past 
while  its  relation  to  the  community  is  just  beginning  to  receive 
due  consideration.  Many  Christian  men  and  women  have  be- 
gun to  realize  that  their  Christianity  must  have  a  special  appli- 
cation to  the  welfare  of  the  communities  in  which  their  lot  is 
cast.    There  has  come  to  them  a  sense  of  responsibility  for  the 


Stressing  Community  Welfare 


347 


right  use  of  all  the  powers  which  they  possess  in  the  doing  of 
this  work. 

In  the  doing  of  this  work  means  and  agencies  will  be  em- 
ployed. These  means  and  agencies  will  be  the  same  as  those 
employed  in  building  up  the  home  since  the  community  is 
composed  of  the  same  persons  as  constitute  the  homes  within 
its  bounds.  Education,  literature,  music,  art,  and  social 
amenities  and  intercourse  are  fittingly  employed  in  building  up 
and  perfecting  both  the  community  and  the  home.  But  of  all 
agencies  for  this  end  the  church  is  the  most  important,  the 
most  vital.  It  was  created  for  this  particular  purpose.  Its 
message  is  for  the  guidance  and  salvation  of  men,  not  merely 
as  individuals,  but  also  as  groups, —  the  family,  the  community, 
the  whole  human  race.  Its  mission  is  to  help  and  bless  men  in 
all  their  aims  and  eflForts  to  build  up  a  Christian  family,  com- 
munity, state,  nation,  and  to  make  the  world  Christian. 

The  task  of  building  up  a  good  community'  of  high  moral 
excellence  is  so  enormous  as  to  require  the  energy  and  power 
of  such  an  institution  as  the  church.  It  was  not  only  created 
for  this  particular  purpose,  in  part  at  least,  but  is  well  suited 
to  this  end.  It  brings  to  men  in  every  group  the  highest 
ideals  and  the  truest  and  the  best  incentives  to  action.  It 
provides  a  fitting  channel  through  which  all  noble-minded, 
generous-hearted  and  patriotic  citizens  can  work  for  the  general 
good  of  all  about  them.  It  is  an  agency  by  which  Christian 
men  and  women  are  united  in  their  desires  and  efforts  not 
merely  to  get  a  blessing  for  themselves,  but  also  to  be  a 
blessing  to  the  special  group  with  which  they  are  immediately 
surrounded  as  well  as  to  the  larger  groups  in  which  they  are 
included.  The  church  which  is  not  a  special  and  distinct  bless- 
ing to  the  community  with  which  it  is  surrounded  has  no 
valid  reason  for  its  existence,  and  if  any  other  organization  can 


348 


Duties 


do  its  work  as  well  it  ought  soon  to  cease  its  efforts  to  exist  and 
be  an  unprofitable  burden  on  its  community. 

In  using  the  church  as  a  special  agency  for  community  wel- 
fare the  Christian  patriot  is  moved  by  the  persuasion  that  this 
welfare  is  vastly  more  important  than  the  success  of  any  par- 
ticular church  within  the  bounds  of  his  community.  He  sees 
the  need  of  the  most  perfect  and  complete  cooperation  in  this 
work  of  all  the  Christian  people  at  hand.  He  believes  that 
the  church  was  established  by  its  Founder  as  the  means  for 
gaining  certain  ends  and  that  one  of  these  ends  is  the  welfare 
of  the  community.  He  sees  that  the  end  is  greater  than  the 
means,  the  result  than  the  agency  by  which  it  is  secured,  and 
that  the  church  was  created  to  be  a  means  rather  than  an  end 
in  itself.  He  realizes  that  the  thing  of  chief  importance  is 
the  gaining  of  the  greatest  possible  good  for  all  the  people 
and  that  the  most  perfect  instrument  will  be  helpful  in  the 
gaining  of  this  end.  The  most  perfect  instrument  must  ever 
be  the  harmoniously  united  body  of  all  the  Christian  people  in 
the  community.  What  better  instrument  could  there  be  than 
a  thoroughly  united  church  with  its  high  and  broad  ideals  for 
men  in  all  their  social  relations  and  interests.  The  gospel  com- 
mitted to  its  care  for  propagation  is  specially  suited  to  this 
work.  The  great  bulk  of  its  teaching  is  applicable  to  social 
relations  and  activities.  The  duties  which  this  gospel  enjoins 
are  very  largely  social  duties.  Doubtless  the  gospel  was  given 
to  the  church's  care  because  of  its  mission  to  various  natural 
groups  in  which  men  are  bound  together  and  its  adaptation  to 
this  mission.  The  church  was  made  for  man  as  a  social 
being,  who  is  also  a  religious  being. 

Christian  patriots  who  have  this  vision  of  the  church  believe 
in  the  church  as  the  channel  of  material  blessings  as  well  as 
spiritual.  They  find  that  among  the  blessings  promised  in  the 
Scriptures  such  blessings  are  included.    The  work  of  Jesus 


Stressing  Community  Welfare 


349 


brought  such  blessings.  He  fed  the  hungry,  healed  the  sick, 
and  caused  the  lame  to  walk,  the  deaf  to  hear,  and  the  blind 
to  see.  He  rebuked  fraud  and  injustice  and  removed  the 
causes  of  much  physical  pain  and  misery.  Christian  patriots  and 
philanthropists  are  seeing  in  His  gospel  those  great  principles  of 
truth  which  ought  to  control  the  activities  of  men  in  all  their 
social  interests  and  relations.  They  believe  that  the  church 
has  a  special  message  and  mission  in  regard  to  every  question 
and  undertaking  that  affects  the  happiness  and  welfare  of  the 
people  both  singly  and  collectively.  For  instance,  the  question 
of  good  housing  in  most  places  is  an  important  one  in  relation 
to  the  general  welfare.  The  message  and  mission  of  the  church 
are  often  greatly  needed  in  the  promotion  of  this  cause.  Mr. 
Albion  Fellows  Bacon,  in  describing  what  bad  housing  means 
to  the  community,  writes  thus: 

"  The  effect  of  the  slum  is  apparent  in  its  own  neighborhood. 
Slums  being  often  scattered  the  poison  is  scattered  in  so  many 
districts.  We  may  find  a  row  of  the  worst  kind  of  houses  at 
the  rear  of  a  fine  residence  block,  or  a  single  wretched  tenement 
set  among  neat  and  well-built  houses.  In  the  factory  districts 
the  better  class  of  workmen's  cottages  have  squalid  shacks  or 
tenements  interspersed  among  them,  so  that  they  are  beset  on 
all  sides  with  the  annoying  sights  and  sounds  and  the  un- 
wholesome conditions  of  filth,  with  the  disease  spreading  swarms 
of  flies  which  the  thrifty  workingman's  wife  would  banish  from 
her  own  neat  premises.  The  cesspools  and  decaying  garbage 
of  one  neglected  house  are  enough  to  .  .  .  spread  contagion 
to  a  whole  neighborhood.  In  the  same  way  may  moral  con- 
tagion be  spread  from  one  center  of  vice." 

In  discussing  the  mission  and  responsibility  of  the  church  in 
its  relation  to  the  industrial  welfare  and  peace  of  the  com- 
munity Mr.  Henry  A.  Atkinson  writes  as  follows: 

"  We  need  some  definite  way  to  deal  with  the  situation,  and 


350 


Duties 


this  way  must  be  on  a  large  scale  and  systematically  instead  of 
trusting  to  haphazard  methods.  Our  churches  need  to  know 
the  facts.  Each  of  our  States  should  have  a  board  of  conciliation 
and  arbitration.  Most  of  all  what  we  need  is  the  recognition 
of  the  fact  that  there  are  three  parties  in  every  industrial 
struggle;  the  employer,  the  employee,  and  the  general  public. 
The  interests  of  the  general  public  are  larger  than  either  of 
the  other  two  partners.  The  church  does  not  stand  for  any 
one  of  the  partners,  but  for  the  whole  of  the  community  life 
which  embraces  the  interests  of  all  three;  and  the  interests  of 
all,  both  employer,  employee  and  general  public,  demand  that 
there  shall  be  righteousness  established  as  the  fundamental  req- 
uisite for  a  lasting  peace  and  as  the  foundation  of  a  better  so- 
cial order." 

The  relation  of  the  church  to  social  conditions  and  oppor- 
tunities in  the  rural  community  is  discussed  by  the  Rev.  Otis  H. 
Moore  in  the  following  manner: 

"  The  best  sort  of  social  affairs  in  the  country  are  com- 
munity social  affairs,  affairs  in  which  old  and  young  of  both 
sexes  and  all  religions  and  no  religion  join.  If  held  under 
church  auspices,  planned  by  a  committee  who  have  not  failed 
to  look  to  God  in  all  their  planning  for  intimate  guidance,  such 
community  gatherings  cannot  help  but  be  fruitful  in  bringing  the 
unchurched  into  closer  touch  with  the  church ;  and  in  the 
long  run  bringing  about  a  feeling  of  Christian  brotherhood  and 
community  solidarity.  Perhaps  in  the  big  city  churches,  as  it 
seems  to  some  of  us,  people  have  been  '  running  into  the  ground  * 
the  matter  of  segregation  of  people  into  age-groups  and  sex- 
divisions,  thereby  losing  much  of  the  old  community  feel- 
ing. .  .  .  The  people  of  the  community  may  be  of  many  races 
and  many  creeds,  and,  of  course,  of  many  ages  and  two 
sexes,  but  once  get  everybody  in  a  country  community  to 
feel  that  big  family  feeling  and  you  have  made  a  start 


Stressing  Community  W  elf  are 


351 


toward  making  your  community  a  part  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven." 

Since  the  church  is  to  be  recognized  as  a  means  to  an  end, 
and  that  end  the  good  of  man  in  all  his  group  relations  and 
activities,  it  becomes  evident  that  the  Christian's  duty  to  his 
community  is  greater  than  to  some  sectarian  church  which 
may  be  in  that  community.  His  duty  is  to  use  the  church  for 
the  community  which  can  serve  hfs  community  the  best.  One 
live  church  in  a  community  will  be  able  to  exert  a  better  moral 
influence  upon  it  than  any  greater  number  can  possibly  do. 

It  will  be  able  to  combine  the  moral  forces  of  the  community 
so  as  to  make  its  social,  educational  and  religious  mfluences  more 
elTective  for  good  than  could  be  done  by  several  churches.  It 
can  economize  all  the  available  resources  of  the  community  so 
as  to  get  greater  and  better  results  than  could  possibly  be 
done  by  dividing  these  resources  to  any  number  of  churches. 
It  will  escape  the  sinister  rivalries  and  antagonisms  which  com- 
peting institutions  are  so  liable  to  awaken,  and  avoid  that  idea 
of  the  church  which  regards  it  as  one  of  several  rivals  or  com- 
petitors. The  advantage  of  a  single  church  in  community  build- 
ing readily  gains  recognition  and  appreciation  with  those  who 
love  mankind  in  larger  groups  as  well  as  smaller  ones. 

The  superior  claims  of  the  community  to  that  of  any  par- 
ticular denomination  have  been  clearly  recognized  by  earnest 
and  devoted  students  of  the  problem  of  the  rural  church.  The 
Rev.  James  C.  Rawlings,  formerly  the  pastor  of  an  institutional 
church  in  St.  Louis,  while  recuperating  at  his  native  village 
in  Kentucky,  has  reached  the  following  convictions: 

"  Let  the  rural  folk  learn  how  to  get  together,  and  make 
a  strong  steady  pull,  not  for  faction  or  clan,  but  for  the  uplift 
the  greatest  number.    They  should  protest  with  ecclesiastical 
leaders  against  the  useless  waste,  the  folly,  and  often  petty 
sin  of  trying  to  maintain  three  or  four  struggling  organizations 


352 


Duties 


in  a  community  where  one  well-equipped  church  with  capable 
pastor  comfortably  situated  and  adequately  paid,  could  serve 
the  community.  We  should  quit  wasting  money  in  lofty 
towers,  cupolas,  alcoves,  and  useless  fixtures,  and  build  our 
country  churches  so  that  some  social  and  literary  advantages 
may  be  secured  and  wholesome  recreation  afforded,  both  in 
winter  and  in  summer,  thus  transforming  these  buildings  from 
lonely  damp  structures,  opened  occasionally,  to  active  and  con- 
stant forces.  Why  should  not  these  features  which  are  suc- 
cessfully supplementing  preaching  and  worship  in  the  city 
church  be  used  with  equally  good  results  in  helping  to  promote 
an  interest  and  procure  development  for  the  sparsely  settled 
places?  Every  agency  producing  a  spirit  of  cooperation  and 
deepening  personal  responsibility  is  a  prime  element  in  this 
undertaking." 

The  Rev.  Warren  H.  Wilson,  D.D.,  who  has  known  the  rural 
church  from  childhood  and  was  pastor  for  several  years  in  a 
rural  community,  in  his  book,  "  The  Church  of  the  Open 
Country,"  has  this  to  say  upon  devotion  to  community  service: 

"  Therefore  the  sum  of  the  whole  matter  is  this.  The 
Christian  man  or  woman  in  America,  especially  in  the  open 
country,  must  learn  to  devote  himself  to  the  community  and 
to  this  end  must  magnify  the  church  as  the  community  center. 
A  new  formula  will  control  his  life.  He  shall  say,  '  Religion 
consists,  for  me,  of  God  in  the  community,  and  in  the  world.' 
This  cannot  be  done  without  magnifying  the  Church,  but  at- 
tention must  not  be  first  of  all  upon  the  church.  A  selfish 
church  that  seeks  the  obedience  of  men  and  demands  their 
craven  submission  cannot  do  this  work,  but  the  church  which 
preaches  the  gospel  of  common  service  in  a  common  local  task, 
and  offers  its  own  house  and  its  own  walls  and  its  own  min- 
ister for  this  use  will  build  itself  and  will  be  enlarged  in  the 
process  of  serving  the  community." 


Stressing  Community  W  elf  are 


353 


In  his  presentation  of  what  is  being  done  for  the  country 
church  by  the  Federal  Council,  Dr.  Charles  S.  Macfarland, 
General  Secretary,  in  his  late  book,  the  "  Progress  of  Federa- 
tion," closes  his  statement  of  things  accomplished  with  these 
words : 

"  That  the  decline  of  rural  churches,  leading  to  the  decline 
of  rural  religion  and  rural  morality  and  life,  where  it  has  taken 
place,  has  been  due  in  large  measure  to  the  want  of  religious 
statesmanship,  hardly  needs  argument  and  conversely,  that  it 
calls  for  a  method  which  has  an  eye  single  to  the  life  of  the  com- 
munity rather  than  to  the  persistence  of  religious  divisions,  is 
equally  obvious." 

Community  welfare  in  both  city  and  country  is  a  central  idea 
of  the  Federal  Council.  It  has  a  special  Commission  on 
Inter-Church  Federations  whose  special  aim  and  work  is  the 
nurture  and  development  of  a  community  interest  and  spirit 
among  the  churches.  In  the  call  of  this  Commission  for  the 
congress  held  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  October,  191 7,  on  the  purpose 
and  methods  of  inter-church  federations,  it  gave  as  its  first 
reason  for  issuing  the  call: 

"  The  growing  conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  related 
to  the  entire  community.  The  clearest  visioned  leaders  of  re- 
ligious work  have  come  to  understand  that  the  problem  of  the 
Church  and  all  its  varied  organizations  is  to  Christianize  the 
entire  community  rather  than  alone  to  build  up  individual 
churches  and  societies.  The  realization  of  this  ideal  is  pos- 
sible only  by  the  united  effort  of  all  the  Christian  forces." 

That  congress  brought  together  from  all  parts  of  the  country 
almost  two  hundred  secretaries  and  other  officers  of  state  and 
city  federations  and  the  dominant  note  of  the  congress  was  the 
welfare  of  the  community  and  how  the  churches  can  be  gotten 
to  cooperate  most  effectively  in  securing  that  welfare. 

When  the  church  comes  rightly  to  be  recognized  by  Christian 


354 


Duties 


men  and  women  everywhere  to  be  God's  agency  for  helping 
the  community  through  the  men  and  women  in  it  who  have 
heard  His  voice  and  are  obedient  to  His  will,  they  will  see 
that  united  work  is  according  to  His  plan  and  gives  the  best 
assurance  of  success.  To  place  the  welfare  of  the  community 
above  the  success  of  any  particular  church  may  be  oflFensive 
to  the  rigid  sectarian  but  it  is  in  harmony  with  the  ideals  of 
the  Scriptures  and  the  emotion  of  true  patriotism.  If  the 
church  is  to  help  the  community  it  must  be  able  to  assemble 
and  reach  all  the  people  of  the  community  in  such  a  way  as 
will  make  its  help  effective  in  the  uplift  of  the  whole  body  of 
the  people.  In  its  divided  state  the  church  has  been  regarded 
as  an  end  in  itself  rather  than  as  an  agency  to  gain  a  higher 
end  in  the  life  of  the  community.  The  growth  of  this  latter 
idea  is  sure  to  bring  the  churches  nearer  to  each  other,  and  may 
yet  prove  the  most  effective  of  all  means  in  bringing  about  the 
rapid  growth  of  that  greater  unity  for  which  we  are  pleading. 

At  any  rate  it  is  a  very  reasonable  way  in  which  to  promote 
the  cause  of  unity.  It  is  a  worthy  kind  of  patriotism  that  is 
specially  concerned  about  the  moral  character  and  progress  of 
one's  own  community.  It  is  a  good  kind  of  Christianity  that 
is  concerned  about  the  same  thing.  In  some  few  places  in 
different  parts  of  the  country  this  idea  of  community  welfare 
has  so  prevailed  as  to  bring  the  churches  of  the  community  to- 
gether in  federation  or  union,  in  some  cases  with  greater  and  in 
other  cases  with  less  success.  The  degree  of  success  in  all 
such  movements  must  ever  depend  upon  the  freedom  of  the 
movement  from  sectarian  desire  and  purpose  and  the  breadth  of 
Christian  love  reigning  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  all.  A  small 
obstructionary  minority  can  injure  or  destroy  the  success  of 
such  a  movement.  It  must  be  general  and  hearty  to  be  most 
successful.  But  the  possibilities  of  good  along  this  line  are 
very  great.    Many  a  rural  community  and  many  a  city  com- 


Stress  in  ff  Community  Welfare 


355 


munity  would  be  greatly  helped  and  blessed  by  the  prevalence 
of  this  idea  accompanied  by  a  broad  charity  and  cooperative 
spirit  toward  all  in  the  community.  The  making  of  com- 
munity welfare  to  be  the  thing  of  first  importance  to  be  ac- 
complished by  the  church  is  well  worth  stressing.  It  is  pa- 
triotic in  a  true  and  noble  way,  and  it  is  Christian  in  a  broad 
and  helpful  way. 


THE  LARGER  LOYALTY 


THE  duty  of  loyalty  to  the  church  is  evident  to  all.  Faith- 
ful allegiance  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  due  to  Him 
as  its  King  and  Head.  Faithfulness  to  Him  necessitates  loyalty 
to  the  highest  interests  of  His  Kingdom,  the  highest  interests 
of  all  the  citizens  of  that  Kingdom,  as  well  as  the  highest  in- 
terests of  one's  own  self.  Loyalty  is  a  noble  virtue.  It  binds 
men  to  those  who  have  rightful  authority  over  them,  and  to 
the  institutions  and  causes  which  insure  their  welfare.  It 
ought  to  be  nurtured,  stimulated,  strengthened,  and  developed 
with  conscientious  care  and  persistence. 

The  duty  of  loyalty  to  our  government  is  being  deeply  im- 
pressed upon  our  minds  during  these  days  of  strenuous  and 
terrific  warfare,  and  this  fact  is  well  suited  to  impress  our 
minds  as  deeply  in  regard  to  loyalty  to  the  Lord  Jesus  and  His 
church.  Most  of  us  reahze  as  never  before  the  importance  of 
loyalty  to  our  President  as  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  our  country 
and  as  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  our  Army  and  Navy.  The 
great  catastrophe  of  a  world  war  now  upon  us  has  caused  us 
to  see  in  a  very  impressive  way  what  we  owe  to  him  of  firm 
allegiance  because  of  what  he  is  in  relation  to  our  government 
and  to  our  national  life  and  welfare.  It  has  been  made  clear  to 
us  that  loyalty  to  him  is  loyalty  to  democratic  institutions  and 
to  our  great  national  ideals.  We  have  become  specially 
conscious  of  the  fact  that  the  basis  and  security  of  any  govern- 
ment must  ever  be  the  loyalty  and  devotion  of  its  citizens,  and 
that  without  such  allegiance  it  will  soon  become  weak  and 
inefficient.  We  have  now  become  thoroughly  convinced  that 
faithfulness  to  our  national  government  is  due  to  it  for  what 
it  has  done  for  us  in  the  protection  of  our  lives,  persons,  and 

356 


The  Larger  Loyalty 


357 


possessions,  and  in  securing  for  us  many  advantages  and  op- 
portunities in  this  land  of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  The 
frightfulness  of  this  war  has  shown  us  that  unless  we  are  loyal 
we  may  lose  these  blessings  and  have  neither  government  nor 
countrjs  but  on  the  other  hand  become  the  vassals  and  slaves  of 
our  heartless  and  cruel  enemies. 

The  present  crisis  helps  us  recognize  with  vivid  clearness  our 
government's  right  not  only  to  appeal  to  us  but  to  demand  that 
we  be  loyal.  Our  conviction  of  its  right  to  claim  our  obedience 
and  loyal  service  is  very  deep  and  strong.  Such  a  conviction 
is  one  of  the  profound  and  primary  emotions  of  the  human  soul. 
It  belongs  to  our  innate  consciousness  of  group  relations  and  de- 
pendencies. It  gives  us  the  feeling  that  we  belong  to  the 
community  and  that  what  means  most  to  us  in  life  is  bound 
up  with  this  group  or  community  or  countr}'  to  which  we  be- 
long. True  loyalty  lifts  men  above  self-interests  and  self-seek- 
ing and  binds  them  body  and  soul  to  their  fellows.  It  so  iden- 
tifies a  man's  life  and  activities  with  the  interests  of  the  group 
to  which  he  belongs  that  he  is  willing  to  sacrifice  all  personal 
advantages  and  benefits  for  the  welfare  of  the  whole  body  of 
people  with  which  he  is  identified.  It  is  the  giving  of  himself 
for  the  good  of  his  group, —  his  government,  his  church. 

Genuine  loyalty  to  the  best  interests  of  one's  country  is  ever 
a  mark  of  true  greatness  of  soul.  The  same  is  even  more 
true  in  regard  to  one's  relation  to  the  church.  Such  allegiance 
is  a  special  feature  of  that  noblemindedness  which  has  ever 
been  characteristic  of  the  really  great  men  of  the  earth  in  all 
ages.  The  heroes  of  all  lands  have  ever  been  the  men  who 
subordinated  all  personal  gain  and  advantage  to  the  general 
good  of  all  those  with  whom  they  were  bound  up  in  a  bundle 
of  life,  whether  that  bundle  was  political  or  religious.  The 
love  and  honor  given  such  heroes  has  ever  been  due  to  the 
devotion  of  all  their  talents  and  power  to  the  good  of  their 


358 


Duties 


fellowmen  in  a  wide  and  comprehensive  way.  It  was  their 
willingness  and  power  to  identify  themselves  most  perfectly 
with  the  special  interests  of  their  country,  and  ours,  in  times  of 
great  crises  that  proved  that  Washington  and  Lincoln  were 
great  men  and  true  patriots.  The  heroes  of  the  church  have 
ever  been  those  who  sank  all  personal  interests  and  gains  in 
their  devotion  to  its  great  cause. 

The  value  and  nobility  of  loyalty  as  a  political  and  religious 
virtue  is  affected  in  no  small  degree  by  the  range  and  com- 
pass of  its  application.  It  must  be  clear  to  every  one  that  a 
loyalty  which  extends  only  to  a  small  group  of  people  has 
less  value  and  nobility  than  a  loyalty  that  pertains  to  a  much 
larger  group.  Patriotism  becomes  broader  and  better  as  it 
expands  from  town  to  county,  from  county  to  state,  and  from 
state  to  nation.  Just  as  the  higher  interests  of  the  individual 
are  to  be  found  within  the  general  interests  of  the  group  to 
which  he  belongs,  so  the  higher  interests  of  the  smaller  groups 
are  to  be  found  within  the  range  of  interests  belonging  to  the 
largest  group  to  which  they  belong,  and  the  best  interests  of 
both  individuals  and  smaller  groups  are  bound  up  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  largest  group.  Thi's  is  why  national  loyalty  is 
so  much  more  vital  and  important  than  loyalty  to  one's  own  city 
or  state,  unless  its  aims  and  ideals  are  in  harmony  with  and 
subordinate  to  national  aims  and  ideals.  Loyalty  to  a  town, 
city,  or  state,  out  of  harmony  with  national  aims  and  ideals  has 
in  it  the  essence  of  rebellion  and  is  both  evil  and  ignoble  unless 
the  national  cause  is  unrighteous. 

In  like  manner  loyalty  to  the  church  becomes  broader,  better, 
and  nobler  as  it  expands  from  congregation  to  conference  or 
presbytery,  from  this  to  one's  denomination,  and  from  this  to 
the  whole  body  of  Christian  believers.  In  this  expansion  it 
becomes  more  rational  and  more  perfect.  That  loyalty  which 
is  given  to  the  church  through  love  of  Christ,  its  King  and 


The  Larger  Loyalty 


359 


Head,  and  because  it  is  an  institution  appointed  by  Him  to 
represent  and  make  manifest  His  Kingdom  on  the  earth,  and 
to  be  the  h"ving  body  in  which  His  Spirit  dwells,  is  a  much 
better  and  nobler  loyalty  than  one  that  confines  itself  largely 
to  the  interests  of  a  single  congregation  or  denomination.  It 
is  to  be  feared  that  much  of  what  passes  for  church  loyalty  is 
of  the  narrower  and  less  noble  species.  Under  the  stress  of  the 
appeal  now  being  urged  upon  us  to  recognize,  accept,  and  cul- 
tivate a  patriotism  that  seeks  not  merely  nor  chiefly  the  ad- 
vancement of  our  own  national  interests  but  also  seeks  the  wel- 
fare of  the  world's  entire  community  of  nations  and  the  good  of 
all  humanity,  it  is  most  fitting  that  we  also  recognize  that 
superiority  of  loyalty  to  the  church  which  specially  recognizes 
the  universality  of  Christ's  Kingdom  and  the  relation  of  the 
church  to  the  good  of  all  men  everywhere. 

The  highest  and  best  loyalty  to  church  and  state  is  that 
which  recognizes  and  places  emphasis  upon  the  universal  need 
of  men  and  their  right  to  the  things  for  which  the  church  and 
the  state  respectively  stand  and  seek  to  promote.  Men  every- 
where need  moral  and  religious  truth,  worship,  and  God,  along 
with  life,  liberty,  and  justice.  In  the  early  ages  loyalty  con- 
sisted largely  of  the  passion  to  destroy  a  rival.  Ancient  Rome 
was  under  the  dominion  of  this  species  of  loyalty  during  the 
many  years  in  which  its  slogan  was  "  Carthage  must  be  de- 
stroyed." The  old  idea  was  "  If  we  are  to  live  and  flourish, 
they  must  die."  This  was  the  kind  of  loyalty  that  stirred  the 
heart  of  the  prophet,  Jonah,  when  he  wanted  Ninevah  to  be 
destroyed  and  was  so  dejected  at  its  repentance  that  he  wanted 
to  die.  This  was  the  only  kind  of  loyalty  he  knew  until 
Jehovah  taught  him.  This  ancient  type  of  loyalty  has  not 
vanished  from  the  earth.  There  are  still  those  who  in  zeal  for 
their  own  country  or  church  think  and  feel  that  rivals  are  to 
be  destroyed.    It  has  prevailed  in  Germany  where  the  dominant 


36o 


Duties 


feeling  has  been  that  the  naval  and  commercial  supremacy  of 
England  must  be  destroyed  and  that  French  ambition  toward 
increasing  power  and  supremacy  must  be  curtailed.  And  it  is 
the  dominant  kind  in  the  allied  nations  wherever  the  cry  is 
"  Germany  must  be  destroyed." 

It  is  a  little  higher  form  of  loyalty  which  seeks  the  highest 
power,  honor,  and  glory  of  one's  own  without  the  ruin  and 
destruction  of  others,  unless  it  be  necessary.  In  this  proviso 
there  is  some  recognition  of  the  rights  of  others  to  life,  lib- 
erty, and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  But  this  recognition  is  en- 
tirely too  scant.  This  revised  idea  of  loyaltj'  fails  at  the  es- 
sential point  of  high  motive.  It  exalts  selfishness  and  pride  to 
be  the  ruling  factors  in  determining  its  course  of  action.  This 
revised  motive  is  really  just  about  as  injurious  to  nations,  to 
the  churches,  and  to  individual  men  as  was  the  ancient  theorj^ 
that  rivals  must  be  destroyed.  No  man  can  devote  his  energy 
to  seeking  his  own  glory  and  live  a  useful  life.  He  shall 
thereby  destroy  his  manhood  and  make  his  life  not  worth  the 
living.  The  church  and  the  nation  also  are  subject  to  the 
sanction  of  the  same  stern  law.  These  exist  for  the  same  reason 
that  a  man  exists.  A  man  does  not  exist  for  his  own  sake, 
but  for  the  sake  of  his  race,  for  the  sake  of  lending  a  hand  to 
help  the  race  upward  and  onward.  For  the  same  reason  pre- 
cisely does  a  nation  exist.  It  exists  to  do  its  part  in  lifting 
civilization  to  a  higher  plane;  in  contributing  permanent  values 
to  the  life  of  the  civilized  world :  in  performing  its  own  mission 
as  the  emancipator  of  the  race  of  mankind,  and  as  the  guardian 
of  the  sacred  rights  of  humanity.  For  the  same  reason  exactly 
does  the  church  exist.  It  exists  to  do  its  part  in  lifting  mankind 
everywhere  to  a  higher  level  of  moral  and  religious  belief  and 
conduct:  in  imparting  to  all  men  the  most  useful  and  helpful 
kinds  of  knowledge  and  motives  to  action :  in  inspiring  men 
everywhere  to  do  justly  and  love  mercy  and  walk  humbly  with 


The  Larger  Loyalty 


361 


God:  in  promoting  love  and  obedience  toward  the  laws  of 
Christ's  Kingdom  in  respect  to  every  relation  and  aspect  of 
human  life. 

But  a  new  and  much  superior  idea  of  loyalty  has  lately  been 
advanced  and  has  gained  much  acceptance  in  the  minds  of 
Christian  people.  It  is  a  loyalty  that  seeks  to  use  the  power, 
honor,  and  glory  of  one's  national  or  ecclesiastical  group  in  se- 
curing the  rights  and  welfare  of  others  and  in  thus  serving  the 
interests  of  the  whole  human  race.  This  is  the  kind  of  loyalty 
for  which  President  Wilson  continues  to  make  his  appeal.  He 
wants  to  be  loyal  to  the  higher  interests  of  all  other  coun- 
tries —  including  those  of  our  enemies  —  as  well  as  to  our 
own.  He  has  repeatedly  declared  that  our  aims  are  not  re- 
prisals nor  territory,  nor  selfish  gain  of  any  kind.  "  The  United 
States  desires  only  to  do  disinterested  service.  Some  day  the 
world  will  see  that  we  do  not  want  anything  out  of  this  war  — 
that  we  would  not  accept  anything  out  of  it:  it  is  absolutely  a 
case  of  disinterested  service"  (Address  to  Mexican  Editors). 
He  has  shown  again  and  again  that  our  aims  are  moral  —  such 
as  the  establishment  of  international  justice,  a  joint  guarantee 
among  the  nations  on  behalf  of  permanent  peace,  and  the  safety 
of  democracy.  The  loyalty  for  which  he  asks  is  therefore 
Christian  in  its  nature  and  essence,  and  it  is  truly  "  an  unprec- 
edented thing  "  that  a  great  nation  should  be  dominated  by 
such  great  aims  in  entering  war  with  other  nations. 

True  loyalty  to  the  church  must  ever  be  of  this  kind.  The 
right  and  proper  aims  of  the  church  have  universal  application. 
It  seeks  the  good  of  all  men  everywhere  as  the  creatures  of  God, 
made  in  His  own  image,  endowed  with  an  immortal  nature, 
and  possesssed  of  wondrous  capacities  for  growth  and  develop- 
ment. All  its  great  aims  relate  to  the  welfare  of  every  race, 
nation,  kindred,  people,  tongue.  It  was  established  to  be  a 
universal  institution  for  all  classes  and  conditions  of  mankind. 


362 


Duties 


It  has  but  one  supreme  Head  and  one  system  of  laws  for  its 
general  government.  True  loyalty  to  it  can  only  be  that  of 
allegiance  to  the  highest  and  the  best  ideals. 

Jesus  is  worthy  of  the  greatest  loyalty.  What  He  has  done 
for  us  has  infinite  value.  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard, 
nor  the  mind  of  man  conceived  the  good  things  secured  through 
Him.  His  Kingdom  is  most  beneficent  and  will  endure  for- 
ever. Our  happiness  in  time  and  in  eternity  depend  upon  His 
grace.  Loyalty  to  Him  ought  to  be  recognized  as  a  primary 
principle  and  duty  of  our  lives.  The  appeals  that  are  coming 
to  us  day  by  day  to  be  loyal  to  our  President  In  the  midst  of  the 
great  world  struggle  now  going  on  ought  to  impress  our  minds 
deeply  as  Christians  in  regard  to  the  importance  of  loyalty  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  the  great  world  struggle  going  on 
between  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  and  the  Kingdom  of  Satan. 
Loyalty  to  Him  is  surely  as  important  as  that  to  any  earthly 
ruler,  however  good  and  great  such  a  ruler  may  be. 

Loyalty  to  Jesus  means,  as  already  noted,  loyalty  to  His 
church  as  His  own  institution  commissioned  to  represent  His 
Kingdom  and  to  promote  the  interests  and  glory  of  that  King- 
dom. There  is  no  institution  on  the  earth  more  worthy  of  our 
loyalty  than  His  church,  and  such  loyalty,  in  its  broadest  ideals 
and  efforts,  is  surely  a  good  sign  of  the  sincerity  of  our  Chris- 
tianity, and  a  special  token  of  our  noble-mindedness  and  large- 
ness of  heart.  It  recognizes  the  value  of  Christ's  work  on 
behalf  of  all  mankind,  and  has  a  high  appreciation  of  the 
Church's  work  in  bringing  to  men  the  message  of  salvation 
and  in  building  up  His  Kingdom  in  the  world.  It  perceives 
the  importance  of  the  things  for  which  the  church  stands,  the 
great  things  which  it  seeks  to  accomplish.  Loyalty  sees  the 
responsibility  that  is  due  to  the  church  for  what  it  is,  has  done, 
and  can  do  for  the  children  of  men. 

But  the  loyalty  to  the  church  that  is  true  and  noble  is  also 


The  Larger  Loyalty 


363 


one  that  is  reasonable  as  well  as  zealous.  It  is  one  that  rests 
upon  comprehensive  views  of  the  church's  mission  and  broad 
ideals  of  its  work.  In  the  present  divided  condition  of  the 
church  it  must  be  recognized  that  all  claims  of  loyalty  are  not 
equally  valid.  There  is  more  of  truth  and  justice  in  some  one 
of  the  claims  than  in  any  of  the  others.  Among  the  diverse  and 
divergent  pretensions  to  superior  knowledge,  obedience,  and 
virtue,  some  one  has  more  of  reason  and  right  than  the  others. 
It  is  evident  that  the  one  most  reasonable  and  right  is  the  one 
that  ought  to  prevail. 

The  grounds  on  which  loyalty  is  generally  based  may  be  in 
part  true  and  in  part  false.  The  part  that  is  most  certain  to 
be  true  is  that  which  appeals  to  universal  reason  and  is  most 
readily  acceptable  to  the  great  mass  of  Christian  people.  The 
part  less  likely  to  be  true  is  that  which  relates  to  some  par- 
ticular view  of  a  limited  number  of  church  people.  The  best 
part  of  any  one's  loyalty  to  the  church  is  that  which  rests  upon 
the  universal  truths  and  principles  received  and  taught  in  all 
the  churches.  This  gives  to  it  a  broad  foundation,  a  compre- 
hensive basis,  on  which  the  most  devoted  allegiance  to  the 
church  can  stand  securely  and  be  most  effective  in  its  influence 
for  good.  Loyalty  to  the  church  as  Christ's  own  institution 
appointed  by  Him  to  be  a  soul  saving  agency  through  its  procla- 
mation of  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel  and  though  the  oppor- 
tunities it  affords  in  Christian  service  is  a  most  worthy  and 
noble  kind  of  faithfulness  to  Him. 

However,  loyalty  in  most  of  us  is  rather  a  complex  af?air. 
It  has  some  elements  that  are  worthy  and  some  that  are  un- 
worthy. We  are  in  part  actuated  by  the  broader  and  better 
ideals  of  the  church's  mission,  in  which  all  the  denominations 
are  harmoniously  agreed,  and  in  part  actuated  by  our  devotion 
to  the  special  interests  of  the  particular  group,  or  denomination, 
to  which  we  belong.    Wc  arc  liable  to  conceive  that  the  in- 


364 


Duties 


terests  of  our  denomination  are  somewhat  diverse  from  and 
superior  to  those  of  every  other  church.  We  use  much  devotion 
and  consume  much  energy  in  the  support  of  views  and  beliefs 
that  are  not  essential  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  church's 
great  mission.  We  cultivate  and  manifest  a  spirit  of  loyalty 
which  appears  very  zealous,  but  is  really  very  narrow  and 
selfish.  It  is  a  loyalty  that  is  more  concerned  about  some 
special  form  of  dogma  or  practice,  than  the  great  facts  and 
truths  of  the  gospel  in  regard  to  which  there  is  general  agree- 
ment among  all  churches.  This  loyalty  to  form  rather  than 
to  fact,  to  method  rather  than  accomplishment,  to  means 
rather  than  to  ends,  is  a  spurious  loyalty  and  injurious  and 
harmful  to  one  that  is  true  and  real.  Our  loyalty  is  much 
improved  when  this  fictitious  element  has  been  properly  sup- 
pressed and  we  have  learned  to  be  faithful  to  the  broader  ideals 
which  are  universally  accepted.  This  does  not  necessarily 
mean  that  we  wholly  surrender  our  personal  and  denominational 
views,  but  that  we  are  to  subordinate  them  to  the  general 
and  higher  interests  of  His  whole  church  in  the  fulfillment  of 
its  great  task,  and  in  the  accomplishment  of  its  great  mission. 
It  means  that  we  are  to  hold  our  particular  opinions  in  such  a 
way  as  not  to  destroy  the  unity  of  the  church,  nor  in  the  least 
imperil  the  work  of  the  whole  body  of  Christian  believers. 
The  right  to  hold  and  propagate  particular  views  is  limited 
by  the  right  of  the  entire  church  to  concord  and  cooperation 
in  all  its  parts. 

Denominational  loyalty  is  the  truest  and  the  best  when  it 
harmonizes  most  perfectly  with  the  loyalty  that  properly  be- 
longs to  the  aims  and  efforts  of  the  church  at  large.  It  is  like 
the  loyalty  of  the  city,  county,  and  state  when  their  aims  and 
ideals  harmonize  with  those  of  the  general  government,  and 
are  obedient  to  its  requests  and  requirements.  While  the 
tendency  of  denominationalism  is  toward  a  loyalty  that  is  fic- 


The  Larger  Loyalty 


365 


titious  and  spurious,  it  is  yet  possible  to  be  most  loyal  to  one's 
denomination  and  at  the  same  time  loyal  to  the  greater  interests 
and  welfare  of  the  whole  church  of  Christ.  There  is  a  pos- 
sible adjustment  of  loyalties  to  the  earnest  Christian  who  loves 
his  own  church  and  at  the  same  time  loves  as  truly  the  whole 
body  of  Christian  believers. 

When  denominational  loyalty  leads  men  to  seek  their  own 
regardless  of  another  church's  welfare,  it  has  become  factious 
and  unreal.  This  is  not  the  kind  that  Jesus  seeks  and  into 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  leads.  It  is  a  kind  that  ought  to  be 
rejected  and  suppressed.  When  a  denomination  is  dominated 
by  it,  the  spirit  of  strife  and  contention  grows  strong,  and  loyalty 
to  the  larger  and  better  ideals  of  the  church's  office  and  effort 
are  hindered  and  opposed.  The  work  of  removing  this  spurious 
species  of  loyalty  and  of  producing  in  its  place  a  real,  true,  and 
worthy  loyalty  to  one's  own  church  and  in  harmony  with  that 
greater  and  more  perfect  loyalty  which  is  due  to  the  church 
as  the  body  of  Christ,  is  a  great  work  and  well  worthy  of  the 
noblest  Christian  aim  and  effort.  The  most  loyal  thing  that 
any  follower  of  Christ  can  do  is  to  use  his  talents  and  in- 
fluence to  bring  his  own  church  into  harmony  with  the  ideals 
of  Jesus  in  regard  to  unity  as  in  regard  to  other  characteristics. 
This  is  what  the  truly  patriotic  citizen  does  when  the  loyalty 
of  his  town,  city,  or  state,  are  out  of  harmony  with  the  ideals 
and  requirements  of  his  general  government.  He  tries  to 
bring  his  local  government  into  harmony  with  the  interest  of 
the  larger  group  of  citizens.  So  the  loyal  churchman  in  the 
larger  and  better  sense  tries  to  bring  his  own  smaller  group 
into  harmonious  and  cooperative  relation  to  the  ideals  and 
efforts  of  the  largest  group  of  churchmen,  the  one  including 
all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  question  of  loyalty  is  surely  one  of  great  importance. 
It  is  easy  to  claim  loyalty,  but  not  so  easy  to  be  loyal  at  all  times 


366 


Duties 


and  under  all  conditions  to  Christ  the  Head  of  the  church. 
It  is  possible  to  claim  loyalty  to  Him,  when  interest  in  His 
Kingdom  is  very  limited  and  trivial.  Conflicting  claims  to 
loyalty  are  sure  to  arise  as  they  have  often  done.  It  will  be 
difficult  sometimes  to  tell  where  the  most  of  righteousness  is 
found,  and  hard  to  know  just  what  ought  to  be  done.  But 
loyalty  to  Christ  as  the  great  Head  of  the  church  will  open 
up  the  way.  The  prayer  of  faith  will  surely  gain  the  guidance 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Encouragement  and  help  must  surely  come 
to  those  who  realize  that  the  pathway  toward  the  unity  of  all 
the  followers  of  Christ  is  the  pathway  of  loyalty  to  Christ  and 
to  His  church  in  the  broadest,  truest,  and  best  sense. 


PATIENCE 


**X^E  have  need  of  patience,  that,  having  done  the  will  of 
i  God,  ye  may  receive  the  promise  "  (Heb.  lo:  36).  The 
author  of  the  Hebrevi's  thus  calls  attention  to  the  importance  of 
the  grace  of  patience  in  the  development  of  Christian  character, 
and  in  the  obtaining  of  its  rewards.  He  was  not  rebuking  the 
Hebrew  Christians  for  their  want  of  this  grace,  nor  chiding 
them  for  its  weakness,  but  was  pointing  out  to  them  the 
imperative  necessity  of  possessing  it  in  order  to  attain  the 
true  ends  of  Christian  living.  He  was  trying  to  impress  upon 
their  minds  the  fact  that  without  patience  it  was  impossible  to 
realize  the  fulfillment  of  God's  promises.  He  wanted  them  to 
know  that  the  rewards  of  Christian  living  and  effort  depend 
upon  the  presence  of  this  grace  in  the  heart  and  upon  the  sta- 
bility which  it  secures.  He  knew  that  these  Hebrew  Christians 
would  have  their  faith  tried,  and  their  steadfastness  as  the 
followers  of  Christ  put  to  the  test,  and  he  was  anxious  for 
them  to  inherit  the  promises.  They  had  many  false  hopes  and 
desires  concerning  Him  as  a  temporal  ruler  and  benefactor, 
which  never  could  be  realized,  and  disappointment  and  dis- 
couragement were  sure  to  come.  Persecution  had  already  fallen 
to  their  lot  and  still  greater  persecution  was  yet  to  come.  They 
would  be  branded  as  traitors  to  their  country  and  the  faith 
of  their  fathers  in  their  attempt  to  do  the  will  of  God  during 
the  great  Roman  siege  of  their  capitol  city,  the  center  of  their 
civic  and  religious  life.  The  most  trying  experiences  would 
come  upon  them.  Their  cup  would  be  full  of  pain,  misery, 
and  anguish  of  heart,  and  they  had  need  of  patience  as  a  sup- 
porting and  sustaining  grace. 

Indeed  this  grace  of  patience  is  the  special  need  of  all  God's 

367 


368 


Duties 


people.  All  of  us  have  beliefs,  hopes  and  desires,  on  religious 
matters,  as  well  as  on  other  things,  that  are  not  well  founded 
and  are  sure  to  bring  us  disappointments  and  discouragements. 
Difficulties  and  hardships  which  we  had  not  anticipated,  and 
oppositions  and  interferences  which  we  had  not  counted  upon, 
are  sure  to  arise.  Enemies  will  spring  up  and  persecutions  will 
overtake  us.  The  work  to  which  we  have  devoted  our  earnest 
efforts  will  lag  and  our  labors  will  seem  to  be  of  no  avail. 
Great  revolutions  will  arise  in  which  all  the  foundations  of  so- 
ciety will  seem  to  be  shaken,  and  all  the  institutions  with  which 
we  are  familiar  seem  to  be  tottering.  Such  times  will  bring  a 
special  strain  upon  our  faith  and  hope,  and  we  shall  have 
special  need  of  patience.  But  sufficiency  for  such  an  hour  is  sure 
only  to  those  who  exercise  this  grace  from  day  to  day.  The 
time  of  preparation  for  any  crisis  in  life  is  before  the  crisis 
comes.  The  ability  to  endure  in  the  times  of  great  trial  is 
developed  amid  the  hindrances,  disappointments,  and  discour- 
agements of  ordinary  life.  We  grow  strong  in  bearing  burdens 
and  in  enduring  hardships  by  the  preservation  of  a  patient 
spirit  under  every  trial  of  our  faith  and  every  interference  with 
our  duty.  Without  this  grace  our  work  will  become  weari- 
some, our  difficulties  insurmountable,  and  our  burdens  unbear- 
able. It  is  necessary  to  keep  us  from  becoming  discouraged  and 
dissatisfied  with  the  ways  of  Providence  as  well  as  with  the 
ways  of  Christian  men  whose  views  do  not  fully  harmonize  with 
ours.  This  grace  is  exceedingly  essential  to  the  continuance 
and  completion  of  our  Christian  work  and  the  enjoyment  of 
its  rewards. 

And  yet  this  grace  is  one  that  is  too  frequently  underesti- 
mated, and  sometimes  despised.  Its  worth  as  a  possession  of 
the  Christian  life  very  often  is  not  very  fully  appreciated  and 
its  value  in  rounding  out  a  well-developed  Christian  character 
very  lightly  esteemed.    Even  Christian  men  will  sometimes 


Patience 


369 


glory  in  their  want  of  it.  Nevertheless  it  is  an  essential 
Christian  virtue  and  it  never  ceases  to  be  a  virtue.  Other 
virtues  may  be  wanting,  or  it  may  perchance  be  unduly  bal- 
anced with  other  virtues,  but  that  does  not  destroy  its  im- 
portance as  an  essential  attitude  of  mind  and  heart.  It  stands 
very  closely  related  to  faith,  hope,  and  love,  which  are  often 
referred  to  and  known  as  "  the  three  graces."  It  includes 
and  combines  these  three  graces  in  a  very  significant  and  ef- 
fective way.  These  graces  attain  their  best  development  in  that 
life  and  character  in  which  patience  has  "  her  perfect  work." 
It  is  the  virtue  that  makes  them  constant  and  abiding.  With- 
out it  faith  and  hope  and  love  must  weaken  and  die. 

Jesus  proclaimed  the  importance  of  this  grace  when  He  said 
"  In  your  patience  ye  shall  win  your  souls."  In  this  declara- 
tion He  teaches  that  the  final  and  complete  salvation  of  the 
soul  is  an  acquisition  to  be  gained  through  the  benign  influence 
of  patient  waiting.  In  this  expression  He  indicates  that  the 
ultimate  security  of  the  soul  depends  upon  the  presence  and 
continuous  effect  of  this  grace  upon  the  life.  With  these  words 
He  points  out  that  the  winning  of  the  soul  is  not  complete  until 
the  grace  of  patience  has  wrought  her  full  effect.  Patient  wait- 
ing for  the  fulfillment  of  His  promises  is  an  essential  attitude 
in  the  effort  to  do  God's  will.  This  attitude  ought  to  permeate 
and  influence  all  that  we  think  and  do  in  relation  to  His  King- 
dom. The  winning  of  the  soul  goes  on  and  approaches  its  com- 
pletion as  this  virtue  of  patience  becomes  more  and  more  per- 
fectly developed,  and  without  it  the  winning  makes  no  progress. 
Jesus  was  speaking  of  the  trials  of  faith  through  which  His 
followers  must  pass  when  He  spake  these  words.  He  realized 
the  ever-present  need  of  patience,  as  well  as  the  special  need 
of  it  in  times  of  great  trial,  and  that  its  daily  cultivation  is 
necessary  to  make  it  sufficient  in  the  times  of  greatest  stress  and 
strain.    And  so  His  words  are  to  be  regarded  as  an  admonition 


370 


Duties 


to  give  special  attention  to  the  constant  cultivation  of  this 
power  of  the  soul. 

The  apostles  recognized  the  importance  of  this  grace  by  fre- 
quent commendation  and  reference  to  it  in  their  writings.  Paul 
realized  our  need  of  its  presence  and  power  in  our  lives  when 
he  wrote  "  And  let  us  not  be  weary  in  well  doing :  for  in  due 
season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not"  (Gal.  6:9).  He  also 
pointed  out  that  eternal  life  is  the  reward  of  those  who  by 
patient  continuance  in  welldoing  seek  for  glory  and  honor  and 
incorruption  (Rom.  2:7).  James  had  a  full  apprehension  of 
its  value  when  he  wrote  "  But  let  patience  have  her  perfect 
work,  that  ye  may  be  perfect  and  entire  wanting  nothing  "  ( Jas. 
1-4).  Peter  showed  his  appreciation  of  its  importance  when  he 
named  it  as  one  of  the  things  to  be  diligently  added  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  Christian  life  (2  Pet.  1:5  8).  John  showed 
his  recognition  of  its  greatness  when  in  the  record  of  his  vision 
of  the  severe  trials  through  which  the  church  would  pass,  and 
the  salvation  of  those  whose  names  were  written  in  the  book 
of  life  of  the  Lamb  he  exclaims  "  Here  is  the  patience  and  the 
faith  of  the  saints"  (Rev.  13:  10). 

The  Old  Testament  exalts  this  grace  as  one  of  great  impor- 
tance in  the  character  of  those  who  were  the  acceptable  serv- 
ants of  Jehovah.  The  patience  of  Job,  one  of  the  most  ancient 
of  the  patriarchs,  has  been  exalted  from  the  early  days  of  reve- 
lation as  preeminently  exemplary  and  worthy  of  imitation.  It 
can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  the  book  of  Job  was  made  a  part 
of  revelation  to  teach  the  value  of  this  virtue.  The  failure  of 
Moses,  the  man  of  God,  to  exercise  this  virtue  on  a  particular 
occasion,  and  the  penalty  visited  upon  him  for  his  impatience 
at  that  time,  is  recorded  (Num.  20:  10-13)  doubtless  to  teach 
the  leaders  of  men  through  all  succeeding  ages  the  super- 
lative importance  of  its  possession  and  constant  use.  Moses 


Patience 


371 


had  been  patient  on  many  occasions  and  in  many  ways  but  his 
failure  on  that  one  occasion  prevented  him  from  entering  the 
promised  land.  King  Solomon  in  his  wisdom  taught  that 
"  The  patient  in  spirit  is  better  than  the  proud  in  spirit,"  and 
exhorted  "  be  not  hasty  in  thy  spirit  to  be  angry:  for  anger  rest- 
eth  in  the  bosom  of  fools  "  (Eccl.  7:  8,  9).  In  the  midst  of  the 
most  trying  times  the  prophet  Jeremiah  wrote:  "  It  is  good 
that  a  man  "  (or  nation)  "should  both  hope  and  quietly  wait 
for  the  salvation  of  the  Lord  "  (Lam.  3:  26). 

The  Christian  Fathers  recognized  the  importance  of  this 
grace.  Saint  Cyprian  in  discussing  "  The  Benefit  of  Patience  " 
thus  speaks:  "  Nor  do  I  find,  dearest  brethren,  among  the  other 
paths  of  heavenly  discipline  in  which  the  school  of  our  hope 
and  faith  is  guided  to  the  attainment  of  divine  rewards,  any- 
thing more  excellent,  either  for  the  aid  of  good  living  or  for 
the  increase  of  glor>',  than  that  we  who  have  attached  ourselves 
to  the  precepts  of  the  Lord,  in  the  obedience  of  fear  and 
devotion,  should  specially,  in  all  carefulness,  watch  unto  pa- 
tience. .  .  .  Let  us,  as  servants  and  worshippers  of  God,  show 
that  patience  in  spiritual  submission  which  we  learn  by  heavenly 
instructions." 

Indeed  patience  is  a  virtue  in  every  field  of  human  effort  and 
activity,  an  essential  element  to  the  successful  accomplishment 
of  every  undertaking.  Without  it  men  fail  to  realize  the  ful- 
fillment of  their  visions  and  give  out  in  the  attainment  of  their 
purposes.  It  is  the  assurer  of  success  in  business  enterprise. 
Every  line  of  business  has  its  difficulties,  hardships,  disappoint- 
ments and  discouragements,  and  these  are  liable  to  become 
great  and  depressing,  when  men  are  tempted  to  give  up  or  trj* 
some  other  line.  Patience  is  necessary  to  help  a  man  hold 
on  till  victory  is  won.  The  men  who  gain  the  best  success  in 
every  kind  of  enterprise  are  the  men  who  have  the  patience 


372 


Duties 


to  keep  right  on  after  others  have  given  up  and  failed.  The 
men  who  have  pertinacity  to  hold  on  become  the  winners  of 
the  prize. 

This  is  also  a  prime  virtue  in  the  student.  In  the  pursuit 
of  knowledge  it  is  the  patient  plodder  that  wins  the  best 
results.  He  overcomes  the  obstacles  and  hindrances  that  lie 
in  the  pathway  of  his  progress.  He  burns  the  midnight  oil. 
While  others  sleep  and  gratify  their  sloth  and  self-indulgence, 
he  keeps  patiently  at  work  and  makes  large  additions  to  his 
stock  of  useful  information.  "  He  may  be  said  to  possess 
genius  —  for  genius  has  been  declared  by  a  great  authority  to 
be  patience:  and  patience  in  this  sense,  means  unflinching,  un- 
daunted perseverance"  (Darwin).  He  seeks  no  royal  road  to 
learning  but  takes  the  path  where  battles  must  be  fought  and 
victories  are  won.  To  him  is  fulfilled  the  promise,  made  to 
those  who  patiently  search  for  knowledge  as  for  hidden  treas- 
ures. 

"  Then  shalt  thou  understand  righteousness  and  judgment, 

And  equit>',  yea,  every  good  path. 
For  wisdom  shall  enter  into  thine  heart. 

And  knowledge  shall  be  pleasant  unto  thy  soul ; 
Discretion  shall  watch  over  thee. 

Understanding  shall  keep  thee"  (Prov.  2:9-11). 

Patience  is  a  virtue  of  which  the  scientist  has  special  need. 
It  is  necessary  to  keep  him  from  becoming  weary  in  his  tedious 
work  of  quizzing  nature  and  in  his  efforts  to  obey  her  sug- 
gestions. It  will  enable  him  perseveringly  to  follow  up  the 
laws  and  principles  which  nature  reveals  to  him  until  they  are 
fully  apprehended  and  their  certainty  established.  It  holds  him 
fast  to  some  particular  line  of  research  and  discovery.  By  their 
possession  of  this  virtue  Lelande  and  Madam  Hortense  Le- 
pante  could  steadily  continue  for  six  months,  hardly  taking  time 
to  eat  and  sleep,  to  make  the  proper  calculations  when  Haley's 


Patience 


373 


comet  after  one  of  its  appearances  should  again  return.  They 
were  persuaded  that  its  progress  would  be  affected  by  the  in- 
fluence of  other  worlds  and  its  movement  retarded.  Their 
calculations  were  correct  and  their  patience  was  rewarded. 
Under  the  influence  of  this  virtue  a  Haeckel  can  spend  five 
years  and  make  long  journeys  to  investigate  and  study  thor- 
oughly the  nature,  habits,  and  products  of  such  insignificant 
animals  as  the  calcareous  sponges.  By  reason  of  his  patience 
a  Langley  can  keep  close  watch  throughout  a  long  and  weary 
day  upon  the  surface  of  the  sun,  whose  atmospheric  changes  are 
almost  incessant  and  a  positive  hindrance  to  any  vision  of  that 
surface,  to  secure  if  possible  five  minutes  of  actual  and  instruc- 
tive observation.  To  the  patient  workers  belong  the  honors 
for  the  triumphs  won  by  modern  science.  Its  achievements 
are  the  promised  reward  which  comes  to  those  who  have  the 
power  of  continuous  perseverance  in  its  toils.  Their  persistent 
tenacity  of  purpose  lies  at  the  bottom  of  all  modern  progress. 
Reason  enables  men  to  understand  that  their  success  depends 
upon  their  possession  and  employment  of  this  virtue. 

God  requires  this  virtue  in  every  human  field  of  activity  be- 
cause it  is  one  of  His  own  special  attributes  and  man  was  made 
in  His  image.  The  Scriptures  call  Him  "  the  God  of  patience." 
It  is  an  inherent  perfection  of  His  nature.  He  practiced  it 
from  the  beginning  of  creation,  and  continually  applied  it  in  the 
production  of  all  His  wonderful  works.  Geolog>',  biolog>',  his- 
tory, ethnology,  and  whatever  tells  us  of  the  progress  of  His 
work,  and  especially  of  the  development  of  man,  make  manifest 
His  infinite  patience.  The  Scriptures  reveal  it  in  a  great  mul- 
titude of  ways.  He  always  has  been  ver>'  patient  with  the 
human  race.  However  much  it  has  rejected  and  resisted  His 
authority  and  spurned  His  love.  He  has  been  infinitely  long- 
suffering  and  forbearing  in  His  attitude  toward  it,  which  has 
ever  been  one  of  kindness  and  goodwill.    While  men  have  gone 


374 


Duties 


on  erecting  altars  and  building  temples  to  false  gods,  and  kept 
profaning  His  name  by  sacrilegious  rites  and  offerings,  He  con- 
tinued to  make  the  sun  to  arise  on  the  evil  and  the  good  and 
to  send  rain  upon  the  just  and  the  unjust.  While  men  have 
been  most  unthankful  for  manifold  blessings  from  His  hand,  He 
has  continued  to  bestow  abundant  harvests  of  grain  and  fruits 
and  vegetables,  and  thus  to  provide  for  the  w^ants  and  vi^elfare  of 
those  who  have  disregarded  and  despised  His  goodness.  While 
men  have  been  stout  and  persistent  in  their  rebellion  against  His 
righteous  government.  He  has  ever  been  wont  to  postpone  and 
delay  the  day  of  vengeance  to  the  very  latest  moment  in  con- 
sistence with  the  requirements  of  perfect  justice,  that  they 
might  have  further  opportunity  to  repent  and  turn  from  their 
wickedness.  The  patience  of  God  was  shown  of  old  in  the 
development  of  His  plan  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ  and 
in  His  generous  treatment  of  those  who  persecuted  and  slew 
His  prophets  and  His  Messiah.  It  has  been  abundantly  re- 
vealed in  modern  times  by  His  longsuffering  forbearance  with 
the  children  of  men  in  their  great  guilt  from  every  form  of 
wickedness  and  sin.  His  patience  is  ever  extended  to  the  ut- 
most limit  consistent  with  His  attribute  of  righteousness,  and 
so  modifies  it  as  to  make  it  more  evident  that  that  righteousness 
is  perfect  and  complete. 

Neither  did  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  teach  us  this 
virtue  only  in  words,  but  also  by  His  life.  All  His  actions 
were  pervaded  and  made  perfect  by  the  presence  and  power 
of  this  grace.  He  was  patient  with  His  earthly  parents  when 
they  failed  to  understand  His  tarrying  in  the  temple.  He 
made  no  haste  to  leave  His  home  and  begin  His  public  work. 
He  met  the  tempter  with  a  persistent  and  victorious  sense  of 
duty.  He  endured  the  infirmities,  faults,  and  stupidities  of 
His  disciples  with  persistent  kindness  and  forbearance.  He 
treated  them  continually  as  brethren  rather  than  as  servants, 


Patience 


375 


and  when  they  were  slow  to  learn  illustrated  His  teaching  by 
some  act,  as  when  He  washed  their  feet.  His  treatment  of 
Judas,  whom  He  knew  to  be  a  traitor  and  ready  to  betray 
Him,  was  full  of  kindness  and  forbearance.  His  disposition 
toward  His  enemies,  though  He  rebuked  them  for  their  sins, 
was  full  of  the  most  enduring  patience.  When  they  nailed  Him 
to  the  cross  He  prayed  "  Father,  forgive  them;  they  know  not 
what  they  do."  Though  the  stars  are  confounded  at  the 
scene  upon  the  cross,  the  elements  disturbed,  the  earth  quakes 
and  darkness  hides  the  sun,  He  never  murmurs,  complains,  or 
finds  fault. 

All  this  makes  manifest  the  value  of  this  virtue  as  an  at- 
tribute of  God  and  as  related  to  His  universal  kingdom.  In 
view  of  all  this,  how  could  it  be  otherwise  than  a  virtue  of 
special  significance  in  relation  to  that  kingdom  which  Christ 
came  to  earth  to  establish?  It  is  clear  that  both  Scripture  and  , 
reason  proclaim  its  value  and  importance.  The  author  of  the 
Hebrews  is  writing  in  harmony  with  the  nature  of  God  and 
His  universal  kingdom  as  well  as  in  harmony  with  the  kingdom 
of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  welfare  of  the  church  which  represents 
this  kingdom,  when  he  pens  for  Christians  in  all  succeeding  ages 
the  words:  "Ye  have  need  of  patience,  that,  having  done  the 
will  of  God  ye  may  receive  the  promise." 

These  words  present  two  duties  for  all  Christians.  These 
duties  are  the  doing  of  God's  will  and  the  waiting  on  His 
promise.  These  duties  are  closely  related  to  each  other  as  per- 
taining to  the  same  promise,  and  are  to  be  contemporaneously 
performed.  Our  doing  the  will  of  God  is  to  proceed  while  wc 
are  waiting  for  the  fulfillment  of  His  promise,  and  our  waiting 
is  to  be  a  conscious  attitude  of  mind  while  at  the  same  time  wc 
are  endeavoring  to  do  His  will.  The  time  for  the  fulfillment 
of  His  promise  has  not  been  revealed.  It  may  be  near  at  hand, 
it  may  be  far  in  the  future;  but  it  is  sure  to  come,  and  it  is 


376 


Duties 


ours  to  work  and  wait  for  it  as  though  near  at  hand.  This  is 
the  attitude  so  often  urged  by  Christ  and  the  apostles. 

A  special  promise  for  which  we  work  and  wait  is  the  com- 
pleted unification  of  the  churches.  The  promise  of  Christ  that 
"  there  shall  be  one  flock  "  as  well  as  one  shepherd  is  yet  to  be 
fulfilled.  The  most  reasonable  interpretation  of  this  promise 
relates  it  to  the  condition  of  His  church  in  this  world  and  surely 
implies  a  visible  unity.  The  same  promise  is  implied  in  His  in- 
tercessory prayer  for  the  unity  of  those  who  were  to  organize 
His  church  and  all  who  would  believe  on  Him  through  them. 
The  apostles  were  guided  and  sustained  by  this  promise  in  their 
work  and  sought  to  keep  the  promise  true  by  their  teaching  and 
example.  This  promise  is  also  implied  in  the  mission  of  the 
church  as  the  chosen  representative  of  God's  kingdom,  and  as 
the  visible  body  of  the  living  Christ, 

This  promise  is  also  given  in  the  vision  which  the  Holy  Spirit 
gives  to-day  to  Christian  men  and  women  in  regard  to  the  ideal 
church.  Such  a  vision  in  the  minds  of  Christian  men  is  not 
a  mere  vagary.  It  is  a  widely  apprehended  sign  of  what  is  pos- 
sible, and  a  promise  of  a  thing  that  is  to  be.  The  Holy  Spirit 
does  not  create  and  nurture  such  a  vision  to  deceive  and  mis- 
lead the  followers  of  Christ.  Such  a  vision  is  the  apprehension 
of  the  laws  and  purposes  of  God,  and  a  sure  promise  of  the  thing 
that  is  to  be  when  God's  time  has  come.  The  astronomer  has 
a  vision  of  the  laws  of  God  along  his  special  line  of  study  and 
this  vision  is  to  him  a  promise  for  whose  fulfillment  he  works 
and  waits.  He  traces  the  courses  of  the  stars  until  the  promise 
of  his  vision  has  been  realized  in  some  new  discovery  or  the  con- 
firmation of  facts  already  known.  As  unity  is  one  of  God's 
great  laws,  and  as  there  has  been  given  us  a  vision  of  the  relation 
of  this  law  to  the  character  and  welfare  of  the  church,  shall  we 
not  regard  this  vision  as  God's  promise  to  us  concerning  His 
church?    Why  is  not  this  promise  as  true  and  real  as  that  of 


Patience 


377 


the  astronomer's  vision?  Christian  men  who  have  seen  the 
vision  of  Christ  for  His  church  and  believe  in  the  purposes,  wis- 
dom and  power  of  God  will  not  doubt  that  the  time  is  coming 
when  the  church  will  be  one  in  its  outward  organization  as  well 
as  in  its  inward  spirit.  Until  that  time  it  is  our  duty  to  work 
and  wait  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise. 

Since  it  is  the  will  of  Christ  that  His  people  shall  be  one,  the 
doing  of  God's  will  must  be  to  work  for  Christian  unity.  This 
was  what  Christ  Himself  did.  He  taught  the  principle  of 
unity  and  prayed  for  it,  and  those  who  work  and  pray  for  it 
are  following  in  His  steps.  To  talk  unity,  to  pray  for  unity, 
and  to  emphasize  and  cultivate  those  Christian  virtues  which 
make  unity  possible  and  practical,  is  to  do  the  will  of  God,  if 
anything  is  such.  It  is  a  matter  that  is  as  worthy  of  a  special 
propaganda  as  are  missions  or  temperance. 

In  our  endeavor  to  do  the  will  of  God  in  the  promotion  of 
this  cause  and  in  waiting  for  the  promise  of  its  coming  we  have 
need  of  patience.  The  movement  may  not  move  onward  as  we 
think  it  ought.  It  may  even  seem  to  go  backward.  Multitudes 
will  be  indifferent.  There  will  be  strong  opposition  from  many 
quarters.  Ultra-conservatism  will  continue  to  hold  firmly  to 
the  existing  order  and  to  defend  it  with  great  vigor.  Selfishness 
is  sure  to  manifest  its  presence  and  its  power.  Misunderstand- 
ings are  sure  to  arise.  Misinterpretations  and  misrepresenta- 
tions are  likely  to  appear.  Disappointments  and  discourage- 
ments are  sure  to  come.  The  barriers  that  lie  in  the  pathway 
of  this  movement  are  not  easy  to  overcome.  There  is  danger 
of  becoming  weary  with  the  ways  of  God  concerning  it  as 
well  as  with  the  opposition  and  indifference  of  Christian  people. 
We  now  need  and  shall  continue  to  need  patience.  Let  those 
opposed  to  unity  be  the  impatient  ones.  One  of  them  has  lately 
said:  "  I  have  no  patience  with  the  proposition  and  I  get  weary 
with  the  clamant  iteration  of  such  shibboleths  as  the  one  I  have 


378 


Duties 


sought  to  expose  w^hose  whole  purpose  is  to  deceive  and  mislead 
our  people.  They  are  puerile,  but  the  sentiment-swept  condition 
of  the  public  mind  which  makes  it  possible  for  such  sophistry  to 
gain  vogue  is  a  serious  matter.  We  are  not  at  the  end  of  it." 
It  may  be  fitting  that  impatience  should  mark  the  attitude  and 
spirit  of  those  opposed  to  the  movement  toward  greater  unity, 
but  it  can  never  be  the  spirit  of  those  who  are  working  for  this 
cause.  Its  progress  depends  upon  their  patient  and  persevering 
faith  in  the  purposes  and  promises  of  God  in  regard  to  the 
nature,  mission  and  triumphs  of  His  church.  The  fulfillment 
of  the  promise,  which  a  fair  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  and 
a  heavenly  bestowed  vision  of  the  ideal  church  has  given  them,  is 
to  be  realized  as  the  reward  of  their  patient  efforts  in  doing  the 
will  of  God.  It  is  His  will  that  the  principles  and  virtues 
which  make  for  unity  among  brethren  should  be  stimulated, 
strengthened  and  made  perfect  in  His  church.  In  the  patience 
of  Christ's  followers  while  doing  this  work  is  the  soul  of  the 
church  to  be  won. 


/ 


Date  Due 


